A STAGGERING £3,000 has been raised after a memorial charity football tournament at Grayshott brought hundreds of people to remember a special football fan.

Zak Combe, whose family live in Kingsley Green, near Haslemere, was killed in a road accident on the A3, near Thursley, in June last year – at the age of 21.

The former Woolmer Hill pupil was scouted for Farnborough Football Academy when he was 16 and spent several years honing his football skills with the academy.

Playing on Zac’s spiritual home at Grayshott Cricket Club in Headley Road, 120 friends aged between 19 and 24 – and his 20-year-old brother Harry, made up 12 teams who took part in the Zak Combe Cup – the first of an annual event to remember their star player and raise funds for Brake, the road safety charity.

“We chose BRAKE because they have just been so helpful and supportive to our family,” said Zak’s dad, Jason Combe..

The tournament attended by family and friends including his mum Juliet, and family, from Sheffield, and closer to home was he said ‘a roller coaster of emotions.’

Run on a World Cup format with a semi final and final Mr Combe said it was “lovely that Harry’s team won it.”

Mr Combe spoke of the couple’s amazing sporting son who he said had swum for Haslemere, played rugby for Hammer, cricket for Grayshott and football for both Grayshott and Halsemere.

Jason added: “It was a bitter-sweet day, so many lovely people and so uplifting.

“Although I looked at the football pitch and thought that Zak should have been there, it was totally worth it and fulfilling.

“Last year we did a balloon release and the outpouring of emotion was amazing and it is unbelievable the amount of love that is out there.”

Mr Combe thanked everyone who helped including many shops and businesses who donated raffle prizes, which on its own raised more than £1,000. He also thanked Grayshott Cricket Club for staging the tournament. Family friend Helen Stockdale dressed up in a zebra costume.