A talented footballer who played in Chelsea FC’s academy has died after being hit by a taxi this weekend.
Joe Reay, 20, had just left a sports dinner at Woking FC with special guest, British boxing legend Frank Bruno when he was hit by the car early on Saturday (November 2) morning.
Police were called to Woodham Lane at around 5.20am where they spoke to a taxi driver. Joe was then found at the other end of the road and pronounced dead at the scene.
Tributes have been coming in for the greenkeeper who lived in Guildford, including from Team GB sprinter Adam Gemili who played with Joe at Chelsea.
He tweeted a picture of himself with Joe in Chelsea kit and wrote: “Gutted to hear about a former team mate who died yesterday. R.I.P. Joe Reay. My thoughts are with his family.”
Peter Jordan, a director with Joe’s father Kelvin Reay at Woking FC and family friend, told getsurrey: “I last saw him on the Friday evening at the sportsman’s dinner with Frank Bruno and then heard in the morning he had died.
“He was going to Chelsea on the Saturday, with his dad Kelvin who is a season ticket holder.
“Joe would have turned 21 this month and his dad planned to send him and his mates to Vegas - it is just terrible. He had a good evening with Frank Bruno on the Friday and was full of beans and happy.
“He was once at Chelsea Academy and then came to Woking Academy. He had suffered from knee injuries over the last 18 months but was just coming back to form.
“He was certainly a very good player. The family is devastated, the whole club is devastated.”
Did you know Joe Reay? E-mail alix.culbertson@trinitymirror.com to add to the tributes.
