Father, 44, is found dead in his car by son after he took a break from watching him play football

An 11-year-old boy who was playing in a football match returned to his father’s car to find him dead inside. 

Tony O’Neil, 44, from Bootle, Merseyside, was supporting his son Joe at a half-term tournament hosted by Birkenhead School, Wirral, on Wednesday afternoon. 

He had been cheering on Joe from the sidelines just minutes before he returned to his car for a cup of tea. 

Joe found his father in the car and it is not known what caused the sudden death of Mr O’Neil.  

The father-of-two was one of a small group of football-mad fathers who watched their sons play for Wrexham AFC.

Mark Swann, who had known Mr O’Neil since they were at school together, said: ‘He was just a loving father who doted on his son. 

‘Joe is a talented footballer who’s had trials at clubs including Liverpool and Manchester United.

‘It’s come as a great shock. We would speak every day about football. There was no indication that anything like this was going to happen, which makes it even more of a shock in the circumstances.’

Friend Adam Raby posted: ‘Tony passed away in his car doing what he loved most, watching his son play football.

‘Sadly it was his son Joe who found him, despite the best efforts of everyone around we couldn’t help him.

‘Tony was a character, known right across the footballing community. He championed his kids, and with a heart of gold, he’d get Joe anywhere for a game of football.

‘You’d often here the whistle on the side, come on Joseph and his ‘woohoo’ when a goal went in.

‘There wasn’t many days we didn’t get a phone call to discuss the weekend’s footy. 

‘He would talk to so many of us. Dissecting his son’s performance, the service he got, the goals he scored. He loved it.’

A Gofundme page has been set up to raise money for the costs of the funeral and ongoing costs for the family, as well as to keep Joe’s promising football career on track.