Following the tragic loss of our former Academy player Harvey McWilliams, our club chaplain, the Rev John Barker, has written a few words.

I know that my feelings today will be the same as many of you after hearing the tragic news of the passing of young Harvey McWilliams. My thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with his family and friends right now. It brought back memories of when Nathan Cartman opened up earlier this year and shared his story of standing at the edge of a precipice and thankfully, in his case, stepping back from oblivion. Many of us have an automatic belief that if you are talented and successful it is certain that you will, in consequence, be happy. Nathan proved that this is far from the truth, and in the case of young Harvey we cannot even begin to understand what has been troubling him in the last weeks and months.

There is no way that we can ever fully know what is going on in the minds of others, even our closest friends. As a vicar, there is a similar assumption that we are surely always positive and happy with our lot. However, I promise you that this is not always true. Earlier this year I shared in one of my ramblings a brief summary of a time when I felt that there was nothing left in my life that was worth living for. Looking back now, it all seems a bit silly. Fast forward 15 years and I’m happily married, I love being a vicar, and I’m indescribably proud to be Club Chaplain and a Vice President.

However, it could so easily have gone the other way. One of the many things that make me proud to be a Darlo fan is that we care for each other and look out for each other. Christmas can be one of the happiest times of the year, it can also be one of the most miserable. If you are feeling under the weather at present, please share your concerns. It really is true that a problem shared is a problem halved. If you would like to chat with me, please don’t hesitate to send a message to  chaplain@darlingtonfc.org and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

There's a GoFundMe campaign in memory of Harvey -- if you want to contribute, follow this link

https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-harvey-mcwilliams