Everyone at West Ham United was left shocked and saddened by the sudden death of lifelong Hammer Sir David Amess at the age of 69.
Sir David died in tragic circumstances on Friday 15 October in Leigh-on-Sea, where he had served as the Member of Parliament for the local Southend West and was holding a surgery for local constituents.
Tributes were paid to Sir David at London Stadium ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture with Tottenham Hotspur by both sets of supporters.
Born in Plaistow, lifelong supporter Sir David wrote passionately about his memories of watching the 1966 FIFA World Cup final and attending the final game at the Boleyn Ground, where he met West Ham and England great Martin Peters.
The following day, he wrote on his own website: “Last night, the ‘Hammers’ fulfilled my wildest expectations by leaving Upton Park in a blaze of glory! It was a truly thrilling match and, certainly, events on the pitch were a credit to football.
“As a young boy, I vividly recall England winning the World Cup and the three West Ham players, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, being pivotal to that victory. It was an absolute pleasure to meet Martin Peters last night and for the two of us to celebrate West Ham leaving Upton Park on a winning note. I am forever blowing bubbles!”
Sir David attended St Antony's Primary School and St Bonaventure's in Forest Gate as a boy, before continuing his studies at Bournemouth University.
After graduating, he taught at St John the Baptist Primary School, worked as an underwriter and as a recruitment consultant before moving into politics in the 1970s, contesting the seat of Newham North West in the 1979 general election.
While he lost out in 1979, he was elected as a Conservative Party MP for Basildon 1983. Fourteen years later, he moved to Southend West and represented the constituency and town with pride for the next 28 years.
A backbencher for much of his career in Westminster, Sir David served on a number of committees, sponsored many bills in Parliament, and was a passionate campaigner for animal welfare and against fuel poverty.
A popular and respected figure in Parliament and across Southend, he was knighted in the 2015 New Year Honours for political and public service.
West Ham United would like to express its sincere condolences to Sir David’s family and friends at this sad time.