Show of support for Stoke fan Rob

MOURNERS were wearing Stoke City shirts as they said a final goodbye to a loving young father who died on holiday in Greece.

Robert Gardner, aged 28, from Fenton, collapsed in a swimming pool in Zante in August while on holiday with his partner and their two children.

His funeral was held in Kettering yesterday and nearly 60 mourners gathered to pay their respects.

Father-of-two, Robert, was born in Northamptonshire, but moved to Stoke-on-Trent as a child and was a Chelsea and Stoke fan.

In his address at Kettering Crematorium, The Reverend Richard Sanders-White said: "In our lives we are lucky if we come across people who have a unique impact on our lives. Every memory you have of Robert is precious.

"Robert was an only child and he grew up in his grandparents' home. Throughout his life he had a wonderful close relationship with his mother.

"She remembers his first trip abroad, when he looked out of the plane window and asked 'where are the angels and god?'

"Another fond family memory was a day at school when he threw a tantrum. He was about nine or 10 and decided to walk 25 miles home, an early sign of his determination.

"When he arrived in the house, exhausted and with sore feet, he couldn't understand what all the fuss was about.

"His teenage years were colourful and he became something of a professional at slot machines.

"In 2000 he met Tina Dudley in Wetherspoon's in Hanley. They set up home together in Fenton and when his daughters were born, Rob was so emotional he didn't know whether to laugh or cry."

Robert's two daughters Tasha, aged 10, and seven-year-old Chloe had been at the poolside in Zante, when their father died on August 29. The family had arrived just four hours earlier, hoping to enjoy a holiday with Tina's mother and stepfather, who live in Greece.

After a rest they all went straight to the pool where Robert started playing with the children, doing handstands under the water.

He turned his back and sank and everyone thought he was just playing, but when Robert was pulled from the water, he was blue. Robert suffered from epilepsy but had never allowed that to get in his way.

Rev Sanders-White said: "Robert loved football, having a drink, football, and more football. He played in a Sunday league team as a goalkeeper. He was rather accident prone and the hospital casualty department become his second home.

"With respect to his epilepsy, his only wish was to lead a normal life."

Robert played for Uncle Tom's Cabin, in Stoke-on-Trent.

Team manager Barry Swindale said: "He was very passionate about his football. You'd have to go a long way to find a better goalie. He used to be gutted when the games were cancelled. He was a quiet man but a real character when it came to football."