The kick-off to the 2003/04 English football season today was overshadowed by the tragic death of 21-year-old player Jimmy Davis on his way to his first match for Watford. Davis, a Manchester United reserve striker, had been due to begin a one-year loan spell at Watford in the first divison match against Coventry. The match was postponed less than two hours before kick-off after Davis was killed in a car accident on his way to Vicarage Road.
The young striker was a former England youth international who had been sent to Watford to gain first team experience. United manager Alex Ferguson said: "You could not meet a nicer and more bubbly character than Jimmy Davis. He was a player with real potential, that's why we had sent him to Watford. At 21 he had great promise. We are all really sad. It is terrible news."
Davis signed trainee forms with United on 6 July 1999, before turning professional the next month. He came through the ranks at Old Trafford and was a regular for the United Reserve team having risen through the Under-19 team at Old Trafford. His senior United debut came on 5 November 2001, away to Arsenal in a Worthington Cup tie. He had been preparing to spend the season on loan at Watford with his good friend Danny Webber.
Willie Carson, former top jockey and now chairman of English Second Division side Swindon Town, was devastated by the news after having Davis on loan last term. "He was a smashing kid, a little guy like me (only five foot five inches) and I am sure like me, everybody at Swindon will be devastated," said a tearful Carson, who was at Ascot for the Rest of the World against Britain and Ireland jockeys challenge. "We wanted him back this season but United thought so much of him that they told him to move up a division. "I always recollect going down to the bench after the first-half of a match last season when he had to go off injured and there he was hitting the side of the dugout frustrated at not being able to help out his team-mates.
Filed by James Boylan
