Tributes paid to Toon fan and North East footballer who died during a game at the weekend

A £20,000 appeal has been launched to help the heartbroken family of a North East footballer who died during a game he had been playing in at the weekend.

Darren Scott, 40, had turned out for the Cobblers Hall FC over-40s team from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, against South Shields Catholic Club on Saturday when he collapsed.

The North East Ambulance Service and Great North Air Ambulance were called to the scene at Cleadon Park but despite the desperate attempts of medics to revive Darren he was pronounced dead at the scene.

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His friend and club secretary, Mark Preston, was at the game as the tragedy unfolded.

Mark said: "He came off after 20 minutes with a suspected hamstring injury. About six or seven minutes into the second half I turned and saw he was lying down on the ground.

"It was obvious something was wrong and he needed medical attention and we called for an ambulance.

"Two of the team are first aiders and they carried out CPR before the ambulance crews arrived.

"They got there really quickly after about 10 minutes. Everybody did their best - the ambulance crews, the two teams - with all their efforts.

"One of the ambulance staff said to me what we did had given them a chance to save Daz but it wasn't to be this time."

Mark said the football community, not just in the North East but the UK, had been left “shocked” and “devastated” by the tragedy and had sent messages of condolence to the family.

He leaves behind his wife Donna, who he married in October 2021 and had just recently bought their ‘forever’ home with, and his children Declan, 17, Noah, 15 and Layna, nine.

Mark said: "The whole family has been left devastated but they are