TWO football teams are to play a memorial match for former player Jay Wills, who was killed in a car crash last week.

Hook Norton Football Club will play Bloxham Football Club at its ground in The Bourne, on Sunday, September 4.

Mr Wills, 17, died after the Ford Ka he was driving on the Broughton Road near Banbury was in collision with a Renault Clio last Wednesday at 9.55pm.

The youngster was a centre midfielder for Hook Norton FC, and had also played for Bloxham.

Under 18s manager Stephen Knight said: “The lads felt they wanted to give something back to Jay.

“If it helps them grieve that little bit easier by playing that game then that is a good thing.”

The club thought Bloxham FC was ideal as the former Warriner School pupil played for them until he was 15, he said.

Mr Knight said: “It is still sinking in. The club is in total shock.

“It will be quite an emotional game.”

He said Mr Wills, a student at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College in Banbury, was a “lovable lad”.

He said: “He never had a bad word for anybody. He was liked on the pitch as much as off with his camaraderie and pranks on players. It is going to be a big hole to fill.”

The Derby County fan, who lived with his family in Bloxham, had the game “on his mind 24/7” he said.

A family statement said: “Jay was always happy and smiling and could never resist the opportunity to pull pranks.” They said he was a ‘key member’ of the HNFC under 18s, which won the division B Oxfordshire Invitation Youth League last season unbeaten.

Club treasurer Colette Warner, who said Mr Wills wanted to join the armed forces, said: “He was lovely, an absolutely fab kid.

“It is just awful. The lads were shattered. All they kept saying was ‘can we plan a memorial match for him?’”

Two weekend games – the first team away at Trowbridge on Saturday, and the under 18s at home at Brackley on Sunday – were cancelled as a mark of respect.

Tributes were left at the scene of the crash, by the turn for North Newington.

A message from ‘Dad’ said: “You were my son and my best bud. We will never forget the joy you brought into our lives. Missing you so badly.”

A Derby shirt was left at the site along with a barbecue on which someone wrote: “Jay Wills BBQ king!”

Evdokios Nicolaou, owner of Bloxham Fish Bar, where Mr Wills worked for two years until this month, said: “He was an all round nice person. It was hard not to get on with him. There was no-one who did not like Jay.”

Mr Wills leaves older sister Marli, older brother Dan, younger brother Max, older stepbrothers Kane and Luke, younger stepsister Neena, parents Mark and Joanna and stepmother Lisa.

He was driving alone towards Broughton when the collision happened and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the other car, a 69-year-old woman travelling in the opposite direction, was taken to the Horton General Hospital with serious but not life threatening injuries.

Anyone with information should contact PC Wayne Martin on 0845 8 505 505 or anonymously on 0800 555 111.