Brother's tribute to air crash victim at Albion's promotion parade

Driving one of the buses at the Albion's promotion parade on Sunday was a particular source of pride for one Brighton and Hove Buses employee.
David with the bus in tribute to his brotherDavid with the bus in tribute to his brother
David with the bus in tribute to his brother

Behind the wheel of the bus named in tribute to Matthew Grimstone, Albion groundsman and fan, was his older brother David.

Matthew, 23, was one of 11 men killed in the Shoreham Air Disaster in August 2015.

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David said Brighton and Hove Albion has been 'enormously supportive' to his whole family after the tragedy, from the players all the way to the chairman.

Jacob Schilt and Matthew GrimstoneJacob Schilt and Matthew Grimstone
Jacob Schilt and Matthew Grimstone

He said: “I just wanted to give something back to the club, to thank them for everything they’ve done for my family since my brother was killed.

“When the opportunity came up to drive the bus named after my brother in the procession, I knew how much I wanted to help out and be involved in the day. It was a very long day but it was an absolute privilege to be part of the celebrations.”

David, whose job involves manually updating bus stop information around the city, was offered the chance to drive the bus named after his brother in the parade by his employer Brighton and Hove Buses – who supplied the buses for the procession. The Matthew Grimstone bus carried Albion staff and managers from Dukes Mound at Madeira Drive to Hove Lawns.

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He said: “Matthew would have been really pleased with Albion’s promotion. He was a really big fan.”

The Albion celebrations on Sunday (Photograph: Eddie Mitchell)The Albion celebrations on Sunday (Photograph: Eddie Mitchell)
The Albion celebrations on Sunday (Photograph: Eddie Mitchell)

David’s brother Matthew joined the Albion at the age of 16 as a stadium assistant at their former ground in Withdean. He then took up an apprenticeship as a groundsman at Falmer training ground before the club moved to the Amex Elite Football Performance Centre at Lancing. He worked for the club for seven years.