A COMMUNITY is in mourning following the death of a 24-year-old sportsman who died while taking part in a football match at the weekend.

Kelvin McIntosh was playing for his village soccer team when he collapsed and died.

Mr McIntosh, who lived with his parents, Dave and Judith McIntosh, at Croxdale, County Durham, developed a love of sport as a schoolboy.

As a teenager, he also represented the county at athletics, and went on to win a place in the British Cham- pionships in Taekwondo.

He also played rugby league for the Durham Tigers and Gateshead Mets and was competent in skating and snowboarding.

Shortly before his death, he was preparing to go snowboarding with his girlfriend, Kimberley Hutchinson.

He had also completed the coast-to-coast cycle course, raising hundreds of pounds for charity.

But it was for his modest Sunday League team of Croxdale and Hett Workingmen's Club that he held the strongest allegiance.

Yesterday, Ms Hutchinson, 21, who was preparing to set up home with Mr McIntosh, spoke about what happened during the football match.

"His team were playing Binchester on Sunday when Kelvin suddenly felt dizzy and fell to his knees," she said.

Despite medical attention, he failed to recover.

As hundreds of tributes poured into their home, Mr McIntosh's mother said: "There will never be anyone like Kelvin again. He was loved by everybody, he was passionate about sport and passionate about people."

The family, she said, including Mr McIntosh's 29-year-old brother Shaun, and grandparents Allen and Ada Price, were in deep shock.

Struggling to come to terms with her loss, Ms Hutchinson said: "The whole community is in mourning. Many people were so shocked they were unable to go to work."

The league has postponed all of this weekend's games as a mark of respect and is asking all teams to observe a minute's silence when the fixture programme resumes on Sunday, February 20.

League secretary Mike Hill said: "We think of the league as our very own football family of players, officials and referees, and everyone was shocked to hear this tragic news. Out of respect, this was the least we could do. The thoughts and sympathies of every single club and referee is now with Kelvin's family."

A funeral service will be held on Friday at 9.45am at St Bartholomew's Church, in Sunderland Bridge, followed by a cremation at South Road Cemetery, in Durham City, at 10.30am.

An inquest into Mr McIntosh's death was opened and adjourned yesterday at Darlington Magistrates' Court by deputy coroner Brenda Davison to establish the cause of death