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Fans pay tribute to 'club legend' George Baldock

Mariam Issimdar & Sam Read
BBC News, Buckinghamshire
Sam Read/BBC A framed football shirt with the name G. Baldock and the number 18, is on a table alongside a condolences book, candle, cards and vases of white, red and yellow roses and white chrysanthemums. A small, black and white framed photograph of the player is also on the table.Sam Read/BBC
Fans wrote messages of condolence and shared memories for MK Dons player George Baldock

Football fans have been paying a matchday tribute to a "club legend" who was found dead in his swimming pool.

Greece international George Baldock's body was found in Glyfada, southern Athens on Wednesday.

Buckingham-born Baldock started his career at Milton Keynes Dons in 2009, playing for them more than 100 times, before moving to Sheffield Utd, and ing Greek side Panathinaikos in May.

Dons ers shared their memories in a book at the club shop, ahead of a minute's silence before their 1-0 defeat at home to Port Vale.

MK Dons A close-up of George Baldock who has short brown hair and a short brown beard. He is wearing an MK Dons kit.MK Dons
George Baldock ed the junior ranks at the Dons aged eight and started playing for the first team in 2009
Sam Read/BBC Man in mid 40s with spectacles wears a white football shirt with gold piping. He has a goatee bears and stands outside a football stadium.Sam Read/BBC
MK Dons fan Steve Manning says Baldock was "one of a kind"

Players from both MK Dons and Port Vale wore black armbands during the match at Stadium MK.

er Steve Manning from Milton Keynes, who had Baldock printed on the back of his replica team shirt, said: "He's a club legend.

"He grew up in the city; he embodied everything that MK Dons stands for really."

He said he was "pretty much devastated" when he heard the news of Baldock's ing.

"Not going to lie, I just welled up a bit with tears," he said.

"So cruel. He was here since he was eight, been through the ranks, progressed through to the first team.

"He had that special quality that you just can't find; he was Milton Keynes."

Sam Read/BBC Fans gather at exterior memorial outside club entrance to late George Baldock. Football shirts and flowers can be seen. Two men take photographs.Sam Read/BBC
Fans gather at exterior memorial to late George Baldock
Sam Read/BBC Young woman with long blond and brown hair wears a MK Dons football shirt and stands outside the club entrance.Sam Read/BBC
Fan Amy Cox says she was heartbroken to hear of the player's death

Another fan, Amy Cox, 20, also from the city, said she was "gutted" to learn of his death, describing it as "heartbreaking".

"His family are clearly hurting, so are we. I wanted to show a tribute and write something down for him."

John Samuel, vice chairman of the MK Dons ers Association (MKDSA), said: "I knew George from the academy - always very friendly.

"He seemed to get the MK Dons thing; he was one of our own.

"It was such a shock, someone you know, someone so young taken so soon from us.

"Very, very sad, all the fans, an outpouring of grief, not only the MK Dons fans, from Sheffield United, Oxford fans, he had his time at Tamworth, Northampton.

"Even Premiership stars that he played with are on social media tweeting about how sad it was."

MK Dons Action shot of George Baldock in a white kit controlling a mid-air ball under pressure from another player wearing a yellow and blue kit. MK Dons
Former MK Dons chairman Pete Winkleman said Baldock would be "loved forever" by the club

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