Tributes to sports fanatic who loved life

4:09pm Monday 19th February 2007

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FRIENDS and family have paid tribute to a fun-loving sportsman who collapsed and died after playing in a football match.

Martyn Burton, aged 31, who was deaf, had been playing in a cup match for Manchester Deaf FC at Bridgend near Cardiff on February 4. But 90 minutes after the game ended, he collapsed.

A post mortem examination proved inconclusive and Mr Burton's death remains a mystery.

His sister Mandy, aged 38, who lives in Australia, received the news via a text message from their other brother Andrew, aged 40, who is also deaf.

She has flown to England, to be with the family in Ramsbottom. She said: "We just can't believe it happened to Martyn because he was so fit."

Sheet metal worker Mr Burton, who was a former Sharples High School pupil, and lived at Belmont before moving to Ramsbottom, did not let his deafness hold him back and Miss Burton said he had backpacked around Australia a year ago.

She said: "He hired a campervan with friends, went skydiving, bungee-jumping, scuba diving, held crocodiles and rode on camels. He just lived life to the full. He was a really cheeky character and could always talk his way out of trouble.

"He was stopped by a police office in Australia who told him to get his noisy exhaust fixed and Martyn just shrugged and said I wouldn't know, I'm deaf'."

Football team-mate Andrew Patrick, aged 38, said Martyn, a "brilliant player", had taken part in only his second match as player-manager when he died.

"He looked fine and was happy we had won 4-3 but said he felt unwell. Then he just collapsed in the clubhouse toilets. The last words he said to me were please, just hold my hand'."

Mr Burton was a popular figure in Ramsbottom, where he set up home in Tanners Street with his King Charles Spaniel, Guinness - named after his favourite drink - and cats Coke and Cola.

He excelled at pool, helping Bury's Knowsley Hotel team to the Radcliffe League third division title and earning himself the nickname "Rammy Hero".

He also won the Ramsbottom Pool League singles trophy and captained the team at his local, the Rose and Crown.

Landlord Chris McClung said the pub is considering naming a tournament in Mr Burton's memory.

"Martyn was extremely popular here and played pool, bowls and darts," he said. "More than 200 people came to the pub after his funeral and we can only hold 140. We are buying a bench to put by our bowling green with a plaque bearing his name."

Mr Burton's brother Andrew, who would have played alongside him for England's Deaf Pool Team against Pakistan this summer, said Martyn had loved his computer and made many friends in the international deaf community online.

"There were 1,000 messages from people all over the world after he died. He was just so popular."

Mr Burton, a sports secretary for both Bolton and Manchester Deaf Clubs, had broken his favourite pool cue a week before he died.

The cue, an eight ball and his chalk accompanied him in his coffin for the funeral at St Paul's Church, Ramsbottom, attended by more than 300 mourners.

His former team-mates used their cues to form a guard of honour as mourners left.