It is with great sadness that I must inform you of the death of Chris East a keen football player and Metro Member. The Metro Staff, Trustees and Members extend our heartfelt sympathy to Chris’s family.

Below is a message from Gareth Jones Team Captain of the London Metro FC.

Message From Gareth Jones

I’m sure most of you are aware but I wanted to put an email round to everyone, I unfortunately have some very sad news.

Chris East passed away on Saturday, he had a heart attack on a bus on the way to watching his beloved Barnet football club.

Chris played lots of junior visually impaired football, he came to his first session with London FC at the end of the 2013-14 season.

Chris played within the London FC B team and demonstrated a great passion for playing football.

Chris missed most of this season, he had a heart operation last year which meant that he had a long recovery period. However it was only 2 weeks ago that Chris returned to training after having the green light from his doctor’s. Chris was delighted to be back training with us all.

Chris’s passing is really unexpected and a shock to us all.

This morning Chris’s mum text me some really lovely words, basically saying that Chris loved the London VI football, she had never seen him so happy and excited as to when he trained and played with us all. It goes to show that in a small way we have all made a difference in Chris’s life, by us all coming training working hard but always doing it with a smile on our faces does mean a lot.

I’m going to let the partially sighted league know about Chris’s passing and ensure that there is a minutes silence observed at this coming weekends tournament.
Myself and Ryan are looking to organize black arm bands for us to wear. It really will mean a lot to us as a club if we can get a big turn out on Saturday for the last tournament of the season and really all be there to pay our respects to Chris.

Thanks all
Gareth

“Amazing young man”: Chris East followed Barnet and “championed the underdog”. A giant flag will be taken to games in his memory

The below article originally from the Evening Standard by BEN MORGAN, MATT WATTS Wednesday 9 March 2016

Season ticket holder Chris East, 19, collapsed on a bus just yards from Barnet FC’s Hive stadium, in Edgware, on Saturday afternoon. Paramedics tried to revive him but he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Mr East was born with the heart problem Aortic Stenosis which affected the valves and blood flow in his heart. He was also born with Aniridia which meant he was partially sighted.

The club today paid tribute to the “passionate Barnet fan” who was described as an “amazing young man” by his devastated family.

A Barnet FC spokesman said: “Chris was a loyal and passionate Barnet fan, and the club would like to send their condolences and best wishes to his family and friends at this difficult time.”

His mother Jennifer Russell, 57, an administrator, said: “He went off on Saturday happy as Larry to watch the football wearing his Barnet shirt. Chris thought he was suffering panic attacks recently.

“On Saturday I think he felt he was late and may have started to get anxious. If anything Chris would’ve underplayed how he felt.

“It would be typical of Chris to not let on if he felt unwell. He never wanted to be treated differently.”

Mr East underwent two heart operations at Great Ormond Street Hospital before secondary school and spent a month in hospital for his third surgery last summer.

He was due to start university in September to study city and regional planning after securing five offers, including one at his first choice Oxford Brookes.

Ms Russell added: “Chris had just come into his own. This is the worst time to lose a child because he was ready to start his life.

“His whole life was difficult with lots of hospital appointments but he took everything on the chin.”

His father John East, 55, senior director of growth and homes at Barking and Dagenham council, said: “Chris was an amazing young man. He was following my footsteps to go into town planning and had an offer at university, I am so proud of him.

“Obviously we are devastated and miss him greatly but we were greatly enriched by his life and the time spent with him.”

His brother Joe East, 23, said Mr East had been following Barnet for several years and was a regular on away trips across the country.

He said: “Barnet suited him as he always championed the underdog and under-privileged.

“He was very socially conscious which I think came from him being an under-dog in life with what he had to go through.

“He had such a spring in his step and spent his whole life whistling and singing. He was just so happy.”

Friends set up a fund to raise £600 to buy a giant Barnet Bees flag to take to games in his memory.

It smashed its target within hours and money left over will be split between the charities Salveson Adaptive and Metro Blind Sport which supported Mr East when he was a child.

Despite his major health problems Mr East played football for London Metro FC, a team based in Waltham Forest for partially-sighted players.

Close friend Charlie Cassen, said: “He was a cracking bloke. He was the sweetest kid and didn’t gave a bad bone in his body.  He lived for Barnet FC.

“He was the most loyal fan, he’d go up and down the country and go on his own if nobody else was free.”

They have also asked the club for a minute’s silence at the club’s next home game on March 19, when they plan to unveil the flag in his memory.

To donate visit this link

The below article originally from the Evening Standard by BEN MORGAN, MATT WATTS Wednesday 9 March 2016