Rugby league community mourns stabbing victim John Marsh (From St Helens Star)

Rugby league community mourns stabbing victim John Marsh

5:00pm Tuesday 24th November 2009

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YOUNG amateur rugby league players across the North West will pay their respects this weekend to schoolboy John Marsh, who was stabbed to death last Saturday.

The 15-year-old who was wounded six times following a confrontation in Hempstead Close, Sutton Heath, had recently signed for Haydock Warriors for the 2009/10 season.

Known to his friends as Marshy, he was a former North West Counties player, who having started as a youngster with Haydock ARLFC, where he spent several seasons, later turned out for Leigh Miners.

A popular prop, he stayed in touch with former Haydock Coach Chris Park who said he was “always a pleasure to work with at training and a really nice and pleasant lad.”

In a statement the North West Counties League said: “John had struggled to regularly get down to training, but it was his intention to return and once again don the black and gold of his beloved Haydock Warriors.

“The NW Counties 13-15’s League would like to express our sincerest condolences at this very sad time to the parents, family and friends of this young man who has been taken from us way before his time.

“We would ask that, in honour of John and as a mark of respect to his family that all our clubs and teams hold a dignified minute’s silence this weekend as we remember the sad loss of one of our own.”

Shocked friends and teammates are still coming to terms with his death, evident in the outpouring of emotion through online tributes on the Star’s website and Facebook.

A 17-year-old boy appeared in court on Monday charged with murdering John.

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