Charity football match in memory of Reamonn Gormley

May 19 2011 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

SHATTERED friends of Reamonn Gormley will pay tribute to the slain teenager by taking part in a charity football match in Blantyre on Sunday.

And the community shocked by the popular Glasgow University student’s death are being urged to come out and support the event in Reamonn’s memory.

Reamonn was killed while walking home with a friend in Glasgow Road after watching a Celtic match in the Parkville pub on February 1.

Barry Smith (18) and 22-year-old Daryn Maxwell, both of Blantyre, have appeared in court charged with his murder.

The charity match between Blantyre United and Blantyre Vics select team will take place at Blantyre Vics ground, Castle Park, on Sunday, from 1.30pm.

The match will be followed by a fun-packed afternoon with lots of activities for children.

A charity function will take place in the Vics’ social hall from 7pm.

All the proceeds will go the Good Child Foundation in Thailand who are trying to raise £85,000 to build a hall for children with Down’s Syndrome and employ a full-time teacher.

A memorial for Reamonn has been established in the Thailand school where he taught English to children with Down’s Syndrome. The 19-year-old spent last summer working with the children in the Far East country through the Good Child Foundation.

Video footage of Reamonn in Thailand helping children with their English by singing songs appeared on You Tube following his death.

Mark Goodfellow, who works in the Parkville pub, has organised the charity event and has the backing of Blantyre campaigning group Community For Change who want to rid their town of knife crime, antisocial behaviour and violence.

John Tierney organised the march through Blantyre which attracted up to 4000 people following Reamonn’s death.

Along with Michelle McInally, John set up Community For Change.

He said: “We want the whole community to come together in memory of Reamonn.

“All proceeds from the day will go to the Good Child Foundation in Thailand.”

Youth worker John, of Tyre Walk ‘N’ Rollers walking group, and Michelle are some of the 10,000 people who signed the Advertiser’s Hammer The Knife thugs petition calling for mandatory sentences for people who carry and use blades.

John said the campaigning group recently met with Kelly McGhee whose brother Paul, a hero solider, was stabbed to death in October 2009 outside his home in Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire, following a night out with his mum Anne and his girlfriend Helen Laycock.

Kelly took her anti-knife campaign to the Scottish Parliament and collected almost 10,000 signatures on a petition calling for the introduction of a mandatory minimum sentence for anyone caught carrying a knife. Her petition was rejected by the Scottish Government.

John said: “We meet with Kelly McGhee and found out about her campaign against knife crime.

“We have been given some good ideas from that and hope to take it forward.

“On Sunday at Blantyre Vics’ ground, we will give out more information to people about our campaign.

“Everyone across Scotland has to work together in an effort to get change.”

Last month, the Advertiser reported how pals of Reamonn are holding a charity football match. Forty teams are set to take part in the Reamonn Gormley Memorial Tournament on Saturday, June 11.

The five-a-side competition will be held in the PowerLeague in Hamilton’s Bothwell Road.

And later that evening auctions and raffles will take place at a private social function at the PowerLeague for close friends and family of Reamonn’s.

All the money raised will go to the Good Child Foundation.