Team mates of late Walsall defender Wayne Evans launch £30k repatriation fundraiser

Evans, who made more than 200 appearances for the Saddlers during the 1990s, died last weekend at home in the USA aged 51.

His widow, Bev, wants to bring him back to the UK but has been told the repatriation process will cost around £30,000.

A group of Evans’ friends and former team-mates, led by Walsall legend Chris Marsh, have now started an online fundraiser to help the family with the costs.

“We want to do whatever we can to help,” Marsh told the Express & Star. “Wanners was a dear friend and team-mate of mine for many years and this is heartbreaking.

“I spoke to Bev and she said: ‘I’ve got to get him home’. But it is an expensive process and we want to assist in whatever way we can to make things less painful for the family.

“A group of us have been discussing a few ideas as to how we can raise some money. Online donations is the first of those.”

Evans joined Walsall in 1993 from Welshpool Town and later made more than 250 appearances for Rochdale. He also had a spell at Kidderminster Harriers and was youth team coach at Shrewsbury before moving to the US to continue his coaching career.

“People often have an idea of what footballers are like off the pitch. Wanners could not have been further away from the stereotype,” said Marsh.

“He was just a lovely guy. All the guys who knew him and played with him, people like Adi Viveash and Martin O’Connor, are devastated by the news.”

Another of those team-mates, Jimmy Walker, explained how he had recently spoken to Evans about the possibility of visiting him in America.

Walker said: "It's just come as a shock. I'm devastated and I can only imagine how his family is feeling.

“It's a sad loss, but I'm grateful for the memories that we've had in the changing room, and to share a changing room and a pitch with him for all those years is something I can take a bit of comfort from.

"He must have been a manager's dream, and as a teammate that's all you can ask. He was a great character. We've got a team of ex-players and some of the stories flying out, and pictures and videos, to see his smile and his banter on there is surreal.

"He was a fantastic player for Walsall and I think he went onto play nearly 300 games for Rochdale as well after. It just shows what a quality player he was. What a player, what a gentleman, and just a real good sense of humour, a good character."

Anyone wishing to donate to the Crowdfunder can do so here: Crowdfunding to After the sudden and devastating loss of Wayne Evans we are trying to raise funds to help towards the costs of bringing him back home. on JustGiving