The Chief Executive Gordon Taylor and PFA staff would like to express their deepest sympathy to the families and friends of Jimmy Davis and Ray Harford who both tragically died at the weekend.
Davis, 21, was tragically killed in a car crash on Saturday morning as he travelled to make his league debut for Watford, for whom he was about to start a year-long loan spell from Manchester United. Watford then postponed their opening game of the season against Coventry City as a mark of respect for the player.
Davis signed professional forms with Manchester United in 1999 and was loaned out to Second Division Swindon Town last season, where he made 15 appearances, scoring 3 goals. The former England U20 international made one appearances for the champions against Arsenal in the Worthington Cup in November 2001 and was on the bench for the Champions League clash in Spain against Deportivo La Coruna in March.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was quick to lead the tributes to the youngster. "All the players are devastated because he was one of the loveliest guys you could ever meet" said Sir Alex, who added, "He was a player with real potential, that's why we sent him to Watford this season. We are all really sad. It's terrible news".
The news of Davis' death came soon after the announcement that former Blackburn Rovers manager Ray Harford had died at the age of 58, following a lengthy battle against cancer.
Harford began his playing career with Charlton in 1964, before going on to represent Exeter, Lincoln, Mansfield, Port Vale and Colchester. In 1984 he was appointed manager of Fulham, but left to join the coaching staff at Luton in 1886. A year later he was promoted to manager at Kenilworth Road and the following season the Hatters lifted the Littlewoods Cup at Wembley.
After a brief spell at Wimbledon Harford joined the coaching staff at Blackburn Rovers in 1991 and four years later he was no.2 to Kenny Dalglish when Rovers shocked the football world and won the Premiership title.
Harford left Ewood Park in 1996 and after a brief period out of the game he then took over the managerial reigns at West Brom. After a year in charge at the Hawthorns he moved back home to London to take over at QPR in 1997. Harford quit at Rangers in 1998 and more recently he was working as a coach at First Division Millwall.
Harford was widely recognised as one of the most astute coaches in the game and Newcastle striker Alan Shearer paid this tribute to his former coach.
"Ray was the best coach I ever worked with and I appreciate the part he played in the development of my career. The whole of football will miss Ray's larger-than-life personality. But most of all, he will be missed by his family and our thoughts are with them".
