It is with great sadness that we share the news that Paul Smithers, Fulham FC Foundation Youth & Community Manager, passed away on Wednesday 5th January at the age of 31. This tragic loss of a truly special man will be felt by all who knew Paul - as a partner, father, son, coach, colleague and friend.
Across 12 years with the Foundation, Paul progressed from a sessional coach to lead our Youth and Community team, and in particular championing the delivery of our Premier League Kicks programme for the young people of South-West London. For the last 15 years, Kicks has been working in local communities to inspire thousands of young people, using the power of football and the value of sports participation to provide help in the most high-need areas. Thanks to Paul, the Foundation run more than 20 Kicks sessions a week.
The incredible impact that Paul had upon the Foundation cannot be understated, with thousands of young people benefitting from his unwavering drive to build better lives through sport. Often, he would be stopped on the street by young adults who, years prior, had attended one of Paul’s Kicks sessions, people who wanted to pass on their thanks for his positive influence during their formative years. It gave Paul immense pride to hear what these ex-participants had been up to as he recalled the young footballer he had known from sessions past.
Paul was incredibly passionate about offering learning and educational opportunities to young people through football, both through formal qualifications and countless partner workshops and events run over the years at Kicks. His commitment and professionalism instigated a number of continuing collaborations with partners, varying from youth clubs and residents’ associations, to the Met Police and various government support agencies.
Within the Foundation, his strength of character and sense of duty helped shape the culture of the organisation today. Paul would often share stories of himself as a young coach, speaking of the colleagues who had assisted him along what was, at times, a steep learning curve. His modesty was such that Paul rarely reflected on the positive impact he in turn had on each and every member of staff at the Foundation. It is no exaggeration to say that for many staff, past and present, Paul’s support of - and belief in - them was integral to their careers.
Paul’s lived experiences, his straight-talking manner, and his desire to listen and learn from the communities we work in established him as an authority figure within every room he stepped into. He would always be looking forward, towards new ideas and initiatives that would benefit participants. This has been evident most recently with his support of integrating mental wellbeing workshops in his programmes, providing both an educational framework and a support network to young people in need.
Today, those who knew Paul are poorer for their loss. They will forever be better for having known him. The players will be wearing black armbands in memory of Paul during our fixture against Birmingham City on Tuesday evening.
A service to celebrate Paul’s life will be held this Thursday, 20th January, at 11.40am at Kingston Crematorium, KT1 3EZ. All are welcome to attend. For anyone wishing to support Paul’s family at this time, a JustGiving page has been set up with all proceeds going to Paul’s children.
