George Baldock’s secret gesture to ill seven-year-old Sheffield United fan revealed as family pay tribute to late footballer for selfless act
After George Baldock’s untimely death, the mother of a young Sheffield United supporter who benefited from his kindness has paid homage to the former Blades great.
On Wednesday, Baldock’s body was discovered in the swimming pool of his suburban Athens home. The former Premier League
defender, who won two promotions to the top division at Bramall Lane during his seven brilliant seasons there, went to Panathinaikos
this summer.
Baldock bought a defibrillator for a fan named Harvey Smith, seven, who had been diagnosed with a malfunctioning heart valve while
he was a member of the Blades. Harvey’s mother, Marie Purdy, shared the story of the Baldock family’s kindness when she described
how they raised money to buy the life-saving gear that would enable Harvey to keep playing football.
“We received an email from Sheffield United out of the blue asking Harvey to visit the team and that they would be happy to help.”
Purdy stated on Sheffield’s BBC Radio.
“My partner returned with my son in a state of complete shock. They had visited the pitch and made the most of the [covid]
limitations, seeing Sander Berge and George Baldock behind some seats.”
In order to feel secure and confident enough to continue playing football, George Baldock utilised his own funds to purchase a
defibrillator for him.
In essence, George said, “I want to help you and I want to buy you a defib even though this has nothing to do with the club.” Since this
was paid for with his own money, George didn’t want any credit or exposure.
“As a parent, I worry sick anytime Harvey plays football now, so it was a gift to Harvey so he could continue to play football and give us
peace of mind.”
The football community was startled to learn about Baldock’s sudden passing. His old teams and clubs flooded in with tributes,
sharing their shock after hearing the news.
On Friday, Baldock’s family released a statement, revealing the footballer was due to fly home to celebrate his son’s first birthday, but
how they now ‘mourn his loss’.
It is known that he trained as usual with his team on Wednesday and then drove 13 miles from the session to his rented ground floor
15,000 Euro a month apartment in the upmarket Athens suburb of Glyfada
Police say that his partner had contacted the property manager – identified as Andreas Vlachopoulos – who went to the property and
found Baldock lifeless in the swimming pool with the owners.
Prior to Greece’s 2-1 victory over England at Wembley on Thursday night, captain Anastasios Bakaseta paid tribute to his late
teammate, who was a squad member by qualifying through his grandmother and had 12 caps.
Bakaseta addressed his teammates, saying, “We are very aware of what a team we are and what we have accomplished to get here.”
“We will demonstrate from the very beginning that we have nothing to fear from anyone.” We are aware of the game’s specifics, and
most of us understand what George is saying.
George has consistently set a good example for the squad by giving his best, prioritising the group before himself, and even
compromising his physical integrity.
We’ll use today’s game as an example. To honour him as he deserves, everyone of us will give our all. Let’s all get situated.
When Baldock met Purdy during his stay in south Yorkshire, he would always enquire about the young people he had assisted. She
recounted their last meeting, which took place in the summer before he left the Blades, in which she played a video of Harvey, still able
to indulge in his passion, winning a penalty kick for his junior team.
“It’s because of you, he probably wouldn’t have stuck to it because it made him anxious playing football,” I said to him as he was
overcome with happiness. It is so painful that we have lost him because he was such a great person.
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