Lancashire Football Coach Dies in Storm Darragh; Tributes Paid

A Lancashire resident, Paul Fiddler, a football coach for Lytham Town FC, has been honored following his death when a tree struck his van during Storm Darragh. Mr. Fiddler, reported to be in his 40s, succumbed to his injuries at the location after the tree impacted his Citroen van on the A59 in Longton around 09:00 GMT on Saturday. Lytham Town FC, via their Facebook page, characterized him as a “legend,” noting he was “well loved” and a “true friend.” The club issued a statement, saying: “We would like to take the time to remember a Lytham Town FC legend Paul Fiddler. “A well loved coach, football player, gaffer but most of all a true friend.”Paul, thank you for everything mate. Our thoughts are with the Lytham Town lads, his friends and family at this time.”Rest in Peace Paul. We will miss you.” Lancashire Police has requested that anyone who witnessed the event or possesses dashcam or mobile phone footage contact the police force. Separately, another individual died in Birmingham’s Erdington area when a tree struck his car shortly after 15:00 on Saturday. Following Storm Darragh, which generated wind gusts exceeding 90 mph and caused travel disruption, tens of thousands of residences are still without electricity, and flood warnings persist. Train service providers have indicated that interruptions to the rail network are expected to persist. Fifty flood warnings remain active across England and Wales due to the storm’s recent heavy rainfall, though the weather forecast anticipates predominantly dry conditions. For further content, listeners can access the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can also be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and via Whatsapp at 0808 100 2230. This content is Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights are reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites and provides information regarding its policy on external linking.