THE ASHES of one of Blackburn Rovers' most fervent fans are coming home to Lancashire to be scattered at Ewood Park.

Darren John Atkinson, who lived on the Isle of Man, was only 24 when he died in an accident at home.

And in his honour the son he never lived to see has been named Connor Ewood Darren Atkinson.

The baby will be with his mother, Kirsteen, and other members of Darren's family when his ashes are scattered on the Ewood pitch in a private ceremony on Sunday, May 18. Special permission was obtained from the club.

Darren's mum Sandra, said: "His dad has always been a Blackburn Rovers supporter so Darren grew up with it.

"They regularly went across to matches and on Darren's 21st birthday he was taken on a tour of the club and had his photo taken with Alan Shearer and Alan Wright.

"Darren was most upset when Alan Shearer moved to Newcastle as he was his favourite player.''

Darren was a member of the Isle of Man Blackburn Rovers Supporters Club, as are his brother David, dad John, and girlfriend Kirsteen.

The baby is having his name put down as the club's youngest member.

Burnley-born Darren spent the first years of his childhood at Sabden and attended the village nursery school.

The family moved to the Isle of Man in 1975. A keen sportsman, taking part in athletics, hockey, golf and soccer, Darren, was 20 when the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis started. It was diagnosed in 1993 when he was 21.

The condition became progressively worse and he had to quit after his first year at Hull University. He later obtained a post as a trust administrator with Deloitte and Touche, accountants, in Douglas, and also learned to drive a disability car.

His condition meant that Darren benefited from treatment in a hyperbaric chamber of the kind used by divers. His family clubbed together to get his own so he could use it whenever necessary.

It was in the chamber that he tragically died from carbon monoxide intoxication on November 15.

Mrs Atkinson said: "We were dumbfounded as to how it happened. He had been using it for three years and was always so careful.''

He was found by Kirsteen, who was then six months pregnant. Their baby was born on February 27.

There were so many friends at the cremation there was standing room only.

Members of the family still live in Lancashire; Darren's grandmothers in Padiham and Freckleton, Sandra's sister, Joyce Constantine, in Burnley, and John has a sister living at Barrow, near Whalley.

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