GREG Unsworth will be in the thoughts of everyone connected with Crooklands Casuals during tomorrow’s first and reserve team games, following his death this week.

Unsworth, who joined the club in 2016 to manage the second string alongside Keith Phizacklea, passed away on Tuesday following a battle with cancer.

Despite only being at Crooklands for little over a year, the former Dalton United player and coach made a huge impression, and chairman Bob Davies paid tribute to someone he is in no doubt will be much-missed at Longlands Park.

“He just settled in very easily and he had a lot of young lads with him who had played for him at Dalton Juniors,” said Davies. “He was such a nice lad, he fitted in really well, was well-respected by everyone at the club and will be a great miss.

“Obviously, we’ve known since May about his condition and heard a few months ago it wasn’t a good situation for him and there was no likelihood he was going to to recover, which was a bit of a blow at the time, because we were obviously hoping things would turn out for the best with the lad.

“He’s only been married for six months, and you just feel for him and his family. He was a really genuine, nice person and it’s a real shame.”

Such was Unsworth’s popularity at his former club as well that Dalton chairman Graham Bickerstaff has already been in touch with counterpart Davies over the possibility of the two clubs holding a charity match or other event to raise money for his widow and daughter.

Bickerstaff’s wife was one of the nurses who looked after Unsworth in the oncology department at Furness General Hospital as well, with her and her colleagues touched by his gesture of bringing them a tin of biscuits as a small way to thank them for everything they had done during his treatment.

Davies, who doubles up at Crooklands’ groundsman, recalled how Unsworth would regularly keep in touch with him checking on the status of matches in wet weather and getting the team organised while in hospital as well.

“Even though Greg had said at the beginning of the season he wouldn’t be about week-to-week, he was often texting from his hospital bed on a Saturday morning, asking if games were going on because he was still organising and getting the team together,” said Davies.

“We were thinking not to bother him at this time because he had enough on his plate, but he just wanted to be involved and he felt better if he was.

“I’d thought about whether should we call this weekend’s games off as a mark of respect, but I don’t think Greg would have wanted that,” said Davies.

“He was that sort of lad; he wouldn’t want the fuss, he would probably just want to go ahead with it, so I hope he is on everyone’s minds this weekend.”

It will undoubtedly be an emotional day at Longlands Park tomorrow, where Crooklands reserves play host to Askam United reserves in Premier Tile Furness Premier League s Division One.

As a tribute, the Furness Premier League have requested a minute’s silence in memory of Unsworth to be observed ahead of all tomorrow’s fixtures.

Cassies’ first-team head to struggling Fulwood Amateurs reserves in West Lancashire League Division Two tomorrow, while Hawcoat Park are away as well, travelling to Eagley. Askam United aim to bounce back from two recent heavy defeats when they host Lytham Town and GSK Ulverston Rangers welcome Stoneclough.

Vickerstown are back on home turf in the Premier Division, but face a tough assignment against second-placed Garstang.

There is a derby clash in Division Two when Furness Rovers welcome Furness Cavaliers. Elsewhere, Millom and Walney Island are away to Euxton Villa reserves and Lostock St Gerards reserves respectively.

And Holker Old Boys aim to become the first team to defeat North West Counties League Division One leaders Silesden in the league this season.