The tragic death of a Bermondsey footballer has sent shockwaves around the footballing community in London and left his wife “devastated” as the couple dreamed of getting married and having a baby. Just over a week ago Rotherhithe born Alfie Nunn, 35, was playing in 9pm kick-off for DHL Dragons at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai (January 27) when he collapsed on the pitch and later died in hospital.
The talented midfielder was a semi-pro in the UK, starring for Canterbury City, Croydon, Fisher and Beckenham Town, but moved to Dubai after his wife Becky was offered a dream job in the Gulf. They jumped at the “amazing opportunity” and ‘Alf’ was able to find a new job at haus & haus estate agents and make the most of the pristine golf courses.
Becky, 32, told MyLondon Alfie “loved playing football in Dubai and he played with great guys”, but his death has left them all “heartbroken”. Other teams in the league played last week but Alfie’s team were “such a mess” they decided to hold a minutes silence and tribute instead.
Becky said: “Events happened so quickly after Alfie collapsed on the side of the pitch. He was playing football and five minutes towards the end his chest was hurting and he said he wanted to come off. They just thought he was tired.”
READ MORE: Beloved dad dies during Fulham football game after off-duty doctor desperately tried to save him
‘He was so easy going and laid back’ said Becky
(Image: Becky Nunn)
Becky said shortly after he went down but he was still breathing, so they put him in the recovery position. Being in a world class stadium meant he had access to a defibrillator straight away and medics on site began performing CPR while an ambulance arrived. She revealed CPR carried on all the way to the hospital and 28 minutes after, but sadly he did not respond.
She said: ” The footballers who went with him really did not want to make the call to say stop. But they did stop about ten minutes before I got there.”
CPR stopped around 12:17am, just over an hour after Alfie first collapsed.
“Honestly it’s just so difficult to describe the situation, it’s just surreal. Everyone is in shock. It’s just devastating. I do not know if there are any strong enough words to describe how bad the situation is. I am completely heart broken,” Becky added.
“Alfie’s parents just do not know what to do. It’s just so unfair, why has this happened to them, they are not in a good place.”
Becky and Alfie met at The Venue in South London in 2007 and started going out in 2010, so she knew Alfie for much of her adult life. He proposed to her on Hong Kong rooftop and they had planned a wedding on the Amalfi Coast for 2020. But then the pandemic hit and the plans were thrown out the window, first moving it to 2021 and then to July 26 2022. Although they are legally married, Alfie’s death has destroyed Becky’s hope of a celebration and family.
Becky said: “We still had our whole future together. Our wedding was going to happen and we were going to have a baby. We had all these plans.”
Alfie’s rooftop proposal in Hong Kong before Covid scuppered wedding plans for an Amalfi Coast marriage
(Image: Becky Nunn)
The outpouring of tributes by Alfie’s former clubs has “blown my mind” according to Becky, at a time when there is ” no positivity” in her life. She said: “He was a really good footballer, he was a semi-professional footballer in the UK. He would always be arguing with the ref in good jest, off the pitch he was such a kind and nice person. He was just very passionate, he just wanted to do the best. I think the reason there has been so much response is that everyone knows it is so unfair and it could not have happened to a nicer person.”
Alfie’s Just Giving page has raised over £35,000 to cover funeral and repatriation costs after football clubs told Becky they wanted to support her in any way they could. She is waiting for an autopsy to confirm the cause of death so they can bring Alfie back to London. So far it is “unexplained”.
Joining tributes to the footballer, Fisher FC stated: “We are saddened to learn of the death of former player Alfie Nunn whilst playing football in Dubai. Alfie, who grew up close to our St Paul’s ground and played for the Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Primary Schools district side before moving through youth football and appearing for Croydon in the Isthmian league as a teenager.”
While Beckenham Town tweeted: “Our captain during the good times, a friend to everyone always. Heart breaking news to hear that Alfie Nunn has so sadly passed away.” Alfie’s former coach at Croydon FC, Kris Hollidge, tweeted: “This has done me today, what a guy. Rest in peace Alfie, always smiling always bantering.”
Do you want to stay up to date with the latest news, views, features and opinion from across the city?
MyLondon’s brilliant newsletter The 12 is absolutely jam packed with all the latest to keep you keep you entertained, informed and uplifted.
You’ll get 12 stories straight to your inbox at around 12pm. It’s the perfect lunchtime read.
And what’s more – it’s FREE!
The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. Our journalists cover all the news you need – from City Hall to your local streets, so you’ll never miss a moment.
Don’t skip a beat and sign up to The 12 newsletter here.
Alfie’s bosses at haus & haus told MyLondon: “Alfie will be sorely missed by the haus & haus team. The strength of Alfie’s personal and professional relationships in the office are testament to his kind-natured, witty, and all round infectious personality.
“He had a huge impact on his colleagues throughout his years at haus & haus, as shown by the sadness that has shadowed the office since the news, however, our shared grief has brought us all closer together which furthermore shows the positive impact Alfie had on all our lives. He was, and will always remain, part of haus & haus team.”
You can donate to Alfie’s Just Giving page here.
Hello, I am a news reporter for MyLondon. I cover stories across the capital every day.
I qualified as a journalist last year and studied English and History at university, with a special interest in medieval London.
I love London because you’ve never seen it all. Also – all the food.
Some recent stories I am most proud of are this report on the killing of a restaurant owner in Elephant and Castle, this weird situation a Kings College student found herself in, and my review of eating a pig’s ear salad in Bloomsbury.
Got a story? Get in touch by emailing [email protected] or WhatsApp me on 07580255582.
You can also follow me on Twitter @cudlum.
If you have a story to share, please email [email protected].
Do you want the latest news in your area sent straight to your inbox? It only takes a few minutes! Click here.
Read More
Related Articles
https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/bermondsey-footballer-who-collapsed-pitch-23022969
