Emotional moment, the mother of the victim of the stabbed teenager presented the trophy named in his honor

The mother of Max Dixon, one of two teenagers stabbed to death in Knowle West in January, described Saturday as “an emotional day” as she returned to her son’s football club and presented the first of what will be a annual trophy in his honor. .

Leanne Ekland said she looked forward to presenting the Max Dixon Cup every year at Park Knowle FC, where her son was the under-16 captain, and added that it meant so much to her that the club created the trophy.

The Max Dixon Cup was inaugurated this year and will be presented at the end of each season to the youth team player who most embodied Max’s supportive, friendly and encouraging nature both on and off the pitch.

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Hundreds gathered for an emotional presentation afternoon at the club, in the heart of the Knowle West community, where the Max Dixon Cup was awarded for the first time. Each youth team manager nominated a player from their own team to be considered for the cup, and each nominee received a nomination award.

A panel of judges decided this year’s first recipient and it was Ryan Hill, who played at centre-back alongside Max in Park Knowle’s under-16 team.

Park Knowle chairman Mike Alden said: “It covers everything, it’s not just about the football, it’s about the nominee as a person, how they help, how they present themselves in training and their whole general attitude. Max has been an important part of the club for many years.”

Leanne said she was very pleased that the first trophy was awarded to one of Max’s teammates. “”It’s fantastic, it’s beautiful. It’s nice to see them grow too and it’s very important. I’m so glad that someone Max played with won the award and I look forward to doing it every year.

“It was very emotional but it’s something I can look forward to every year because I know he will always be remembered now and it means so much to me. I know it means a lot to the club and as Max’s mum it means a lot to me as it keeps his memory alive,” she added.

Park Knowle’s club leaders, coordinated by Mike’s daughter Carly Kingdon, set up the Max Dixon Foundation to raise money and awareness to fund more bleeding kits and get training on how to use them in youth clubs, sports clubs and schools around the world. the country.

“I’m 100% behind them,” Leanne said. “We’re just trying to raise awareness about the bleed kits because I don’t want Max to be remembered the way he died, I want something really positive to come out of this, and if we can educate something in schools about the bleed kits , then hopefully something good will come out of it,” she added.