PNE fans asked to clap to celebrate life of supporter Stu Bolton

Family and friends of a devoted Preston North End fan have paid tribute after he died of a brain tumour at the age of 36.
Stu at DeepdaleStu at Deepdale
Stu at Deepdale

Stu Bolton, who had been receiving treatment for a malignant tumour for the past 10 years, died peacefully at home in Cottam, wearing his PNE shirt.

Fellow PNE fans, who have posted dozens of tributes to Stu online, are being asked to clap as his hearse passes Deepdale stadium tomorrow (Friday June 12) ahead of his funeral service.

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Dad-of-one Stu became hooked on football when his auntie Sharon took him on his first PNE game at Deepdale when he was just three.

Stu with wife Kelly and daughter AnnabelleStu with wife Kelly and daughter Annabelle
Stu with wife Kelly and daughter Annabelle

It was a passion that stayed with him for the rest of his life. He became a season ticket holder and he played for the PNE fans’ team from 2006 to 2011.

One of his family’s proudest moments was watching him score a goal at Deepdale.

It was while Stu was playing for the team in his early 20s that he noticed he first was feeling unwell, telling his family he had had ‘funny do’s.’ When he went to the doctor to get his symptoms checked out, he later discovered he had a brain tumour.

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Stu, who had worked as a geography teacher at Rivington and BlackrodHigh, bravely fought his illness for 10 years, going through many rounds of treatment at Rosemere Cancer Centre, but was told in February that there was nothing more doctors could do.

His mum Julie Goodwin said that despite knowing his condition was life-limiting, Stu never complained.

Julie, of Fulwood, said: “Stu was a fighter.

“He wanted to keep trying and being there for his family.

“He never complained. No-one ever heard him say, ‘Why me?’”

Instead Stu made a wish list, trying to make the most of the time he had left with his wife Kelly and their five-year-old daughter, Annabelle.

He went to see the Northern Lights in Scotland with his family in February.

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Julie said: “He just wanted to live long enough for Annabelle to remember her dad.

“He managed to get five Christmases with her. He became a house husband and devoted his time to Annabelle.”

Sadly Stu was unable to complete another wish on his list, which was to take Annabelle to his beloved Deepdale for the 5,000th league game.

They had booked two family boxes for the special day, but the coronavirus pandemic meant the fixture against Derby was postponed in March.

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His family are hoping that fans will turn out to clap Stu’s funeral cortege as it passes Deepdale stadium tomorrow.

The hearse will be passing by the Tom Finney statue around 2.45pm on Friday.

The funeral service will then take place at Preston Crematorium at 3.15pm, but only close family are able to attend with the pandemic restrictions, so the service will be streamed online.

Kelly said: “We’re upset that we can’t give Stu the send-off he deserves because of the coronavirus restrictions so we are encouraging people to clap the hearse as it passes near to the ground. Stu would have loved that.

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“Stu was truly one of a kind and still cracked jokes right at the very end.

“He was an amazing husband and fantastic dad. He was my soul mate and mine and Annabelle’s absolute world.”

Fan forums have been innudated with tributes to Stu, a former pupil at Archbishop Temple School.

Julie said: “We were amazed by the outpouring. He was a very quiet man but he has touched a lot of people’s lives.”

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PNE kit man and former fans’ team manager, Steve Cowell, also contacted the family with his condolences saying: “Stu loved life, loved his family and loved his club PNE.

“Those three all came together one day in March 2009, when he met his future wife, Kelly, on the train coming back from a PNE away game at Charlton.

“Stu was taken far too early, but he will never be forgotten and he will always be in our thoughts.”