A teenage West Ham academy goalkeeper has died aged 15 after suffering from cancer.
Oscar Fairs from Benfleet, Essex, was diagnosed with a rare 7cm ependymoma brain tumour in August 2023 and underwent seven surgeries, one round of chemotherapy and one round of radiotherapy before being told palliative care was the only option.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help the family raise £100,000 towards a treatment trial in France. West Ham footballers donated £27,000, chairman David Sullivan donated £10,000 and the former West Ham star Declan Rice, now with Arsenal, gave £5,000, according to the Fairs family.
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On Friday, West Ham announced that the 15-year-old had died.
The club’s sporting director, Mark Noble, said: “Oscar was adored by everyone at the Academy – not only was he a great goalkeeper, he was a true Hammer and a fantastic young person, who will be deeply missed by everyone who had the pleasure to know him.
“I have wonderful memories of Oscar playing in my garden – [my son] Lenny and his teammates all loved him. He was a friendly, happy, well-mannered and polite young man, who had such a bright future ahead of him, and it is just so unimaginably devastating that he has been taken from his family and friends at this age.
“The thoughts and sincere condolences of everyone at the club are with Oscar’s parents, Natalie and Russell, and his brother Harry, and we kindly ask that the family’s privacy is respected at this extremely difficult time.”
All scheduled Academy fixtures over the weekend have been postponed as a mark of respect.
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