Hundreds expected at Northampton charity football tournament in memory of Luke Abrahams

Luke, a 20-year-old amateur footballer from East Hunsbury, died at Northampton General Hospital on January 23, 2023, just a week after first reporting a sore throat.

An annual football tournament in his honour has been held at Roade Football Club every year since his death, with the third of its kind set to take place tomorrow (Saturday, June 28) starting at around 11.50am.

Speaking to Chronicle & Echo, Luke’s dad Richard said: “It’s the third year we’ve done this, and I still find it emotional. We’ve just finished the memorial walk, and doing that followed by the tournament always brings a lot of feelings up. Every year will be emotional because of what happened.

“We’re expecting around 400 people again this year. It means a lot when so many people turn up to pay respect to our son. There's a huge amount of respect and support, and it helps us get through everything. We’ve still got the inquest going on, and some days are really hard emotionally, physically, and mentally. But people’s support makes a big difference.”

Richard added: “Luke would absolutely love it. But more than anything, he should still be here, out on the pitch, playing alongside us. That’s the truth of it.”

The matches kick off at 11.55am with the teams walking out onto the pitch together. There’s going to be a minute of applause to honour Luke’s memory.

Luke’s younger brother Jake, who’s one of the main organisers along with Luke’s long time friend Cal Harris, have been instrumental in organising the events.

There are four teams playing in the tournament:

• Two "Luke’s XI" teams made up of friends and family

• Hunsbury Hawks, the team Luke started himself

• AFC Spinney, who are made up of players and people Luke was associated with through football

The winning team gets the Luke Abraham Memorial Shield.

Richard said: "It started as a friendly charity tournament, but now everyone wants to win it. I think Luke would love that competitive spirit.

"They’ll all play each other throughout the day, and there’ll be a final match later in the afternoon. During the break, there’s a mini darts competition too – just a bit of fun while the players rest.

“We’ve got an incredible list of raffle prizes this year. There’s a signed match ball from Joe Cole, a signed West Ham shirt with a certificate of authentication, a signed Saints rugby ball, a signed Northampton Town FC shirt, and about 50 prizes overall. I went through the list last night. There’s also a 55-inch TV, a smart watch, a coffee machine, vouchers from Riverside Hub, and a £50 voucher from Butcher’s Block.

"Loads of stuff has been donated by local businesses and the wider community. It’s heartwarming how much people want to help out.

“What really keeps us going is the support from everyone. I’d like to say a big thank you to them. People who didn’t even know Luke personally turn up just to pay their respects. They’ve heard about him, and they want to be part of something that keeps his legacy alive.”

All money raised at the event will be donated to The UK Sepsis Trust and The Lee Spark NF Foundation.

A preliminary inquest into Luke’s death is set to take place on Friday July 4 at 2pm.