Latest news with #GeorgeBaldock
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ex-Prem star died in pool day before he was due to fly home for son's birthday
Former Premier League footballer George Baldock tragically drowned in the swimming pool at his Athens residence just one day before he was scheduled to return home for his son's first birthday, an inquest into his death has revealed. Baldock, 31, was discovered dead in the Greek capital where he was playing for Panathinaikos. The ex-Sheffield United defender had no substances or alcohol in his system and there was no indication of foul play, the court in Buckinghamshire was informed. His death has been classified as accidental. The inquest also revealed that Baldock had an enlarged heart 'that would have meant that he was susceptible to heart arrythmias' - an irregular heartbeat, either too fast or too slow. Baldock had played a club fixture just three days before the incident. His worried fiancee raised the alarm after failing to contact him, before the owner of the house he was living him found his body in the pool. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, Baldock could not be saved. "George, you were the most special father, fiance, son, brother, uncle, friend, team-mate and person," his family said in a statement. "Your enthusiasm and infectious personality brought so much love to those that were fortunate enough to know you and those that adored you from the stands. "We will forever cherish the special memories we have of you and you will continue to live on in your beautiful son." Baldock came through the youth ranks at MK Dons and played 125 times for the club over an eight-year period, scoring twice and winning their player of the season award in 2015-16. He had loan spells at Northampton, Tamworth and Oxford while with the Dons, but he made his name at Bramall Lane after moving to Sheffield United in 2017. In seven years with the Blades, he established himself as a fan favourite scoring six times from right-back in 219 appearances. He helped United to the Premier League twice, finishing runners-up in the Championship in both 2018-19 and 2022-23. Baldock left for Panathinaikos in the summer of 2024 and played just four times for his new club before the tragic incident. He qualified to play for Greece through his grandmother and made his debut in a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in June 2022. In all, he would earn 12 senior caps. Greece played against England at Wembley the day after his death with the match going ahead despite his grief-stricken teammates only learning of his passing the previous night. Tributes were paid before the game which Greece won 2-1. Baldock's shirt was held aloft after their first goal and following the full-time whistle.
ITV News
6 days ago
- Sport
- ITV News
Ex-MK Dons and Sheffield Utd footballer George Baldock's cause of death in swimming pool is revealed
A former Premier League footballer who died in his own swimming pool had no drugs or alcohol in his system, an inquest has found. Defender George Baldock, 31, was living in Athens after recently signing for Panathinaikos when he died on 9 October. Mr Baldock spent the majority of his career playing for MK Dons and Sheffield United, having been born in Buckinghamshire. He had played a club fixture just three days before drowning, and was due to fly back to the UK the following day to celebrate his son's birthday. He had also played on loan with Northampton Town, Tamworth, IBV and Oxford United. An inquest into Mr Baldock's death at Milton Keynes Coroner's Court on Wednesday, July 23 confirmed his medical cause of death as drowning. An investigation by Greek police found no evidence of criminal activity. Mr Baldock was found in the swimming pool at his address, in the Glyfada district of Athens, on 9 October and attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful, the inquest heard. A post-mortem examination found no drugs or alcohol in his system and that he had a very large heart 'that would have meant that he was susceptible to heart arrythmias', also known as irregular heartbeats. Tom Osborne, senior coroner for Milton Keynes, concluded Baldock's death was an accident. Tributes were paid across the country in the days after Baldock's death, including by his former clubs and at a Nations League match between England and Greece at Wembley where the stadium held a period of silence and both teams wore black armbands. A statement from Mr Baldock's family that was released at the time of his death read: "George, you were the most special father, fiancé, son, brother, uncle, friend, team-mate and person. "Your enthusiasm and infectious personality brought so much love to those that were fortunate enough to know you and those that adored you from the stands. "We will forever cherish the special memories we have of you and you will continue to live on in your beautiful son."
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Premier League star George Baldock, 31, died by accidental drowning a day before his son's birthday; coroner rules out foul play
George Baldock, a former Premier League defender, tragically drowned in his pool in Greece just one day before he was due to fly back to the UK to celebrate his son's first birthday. The 31-year-old had recently signed with Panathinaikos and was living in Athens when he was found unresponsive at home in October. A coroner ruled his death an accident, and a post mortem showed no drugs or alcohol were involved, The Sun reported. It also revealed he had a significantly enlarged heart, which could have made him vulnerable to heart rhythm issues. His passing left his loved ones and the football world in shock. George Baldock planned to return home for his son's first birthday George Baldock had been scheduled to return to the UK the next day to mark his baby boy's first birthday. When his partner couldn't reach him, concern quickly grew. The owner of the house he was staying at found him in the pool. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. No criminal activity or substances were found against George Baldock Greek police found no evidence of foul play. A post mortem confirmed that Baldock had drowned, with no signs of alcohol or drugs. The report did mention a very large heart, which may have caused a sudden arrhythmia. Just three days earlier, Baldock had played a match for his club. George Baldock's family share heartbreaking posts on social media His family described him as a devoted father, a joyful presence, and someone who left a lasting impression. 'You were the most special father, fiancé, son, brother, uncle, friend,' their statement said. His young son, they said, would grow up hearing stories about his father's love and energy. On This Day in 2017, George Baldock signed for the but never forgotten Starman 🕊❤ After coming through the MK Dons youth system, Baldock made his mark at Oxford United and Sheffield United, where he made over 200 appearances. Known for his relentless style, he earned the nickname Furious George. He was also capped 12 times for Greece, thanks to his grandmother's heritage. Sheffield United and Chelsea FC released statement after George Baldock's death Sheffield United and Panathinaikos both released statements mourning his loss. "Sheffield United Football Club is shocked and extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player George Baldock. The defender left the club in the summer after seven years at Bramall Lane and was extremely popular with supporters, staff and team-mates who pulled on a red and white shirt alongside him. The sincere condolences of everyone associated with Sheffield United are extended to George's family and friends.", Sheffield United posted on X. Sheffield United Football Club is shocked and extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player, George Baldock. The defender left the club in the summer after seven years at Bramall Lane and was extremely popular with supporters, staff and team-mates who pulled on a… For George. 💙Our thoughts go out to George Baldock's family, and everyone at Panathinaikos FC, following the sad passing of the defender recently.#CFC | #UECL Premier League giants, Chelsea FC also shared a statement regarding the unfortunate passing of George Baldock. They posted on X, "Our thoughts go out to George Baldock's family, and everyone at Panathinaikos FC, following the sad passing of the defender recently."
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Former Premier League player George Baldock died in drowning accident, inquest finds
Former Premier League footballer George Baldock died in an accident in his swimming pool on the outskirts of Athens, an inquest has found. Baldock, who was 31, was found dead at his home in Glyfada, southern Athens, on October 9, 2024. A post-mortem examination concluded that there were no drugs or alcohol in his system and that he had 'a very large heart that would have meant that he was susceptible to heart arrhythmias'. Advertisement Tom Osborne, senior coroner of Milton Keynes coroners' court, ruled Baldock died of drowning in an accident. Resuscitation attempts by Greek emergency services were unsuccessful, while local police later concluded there was no evidence of criminal activity following an investigation. The former Greece international had played for Panathinaikos in a 0-0 draw against Athens rivals Olympiacos three days prior to his death. Baldock, who was born in Buckinghamshire and qualified for Greece through a grandmother, came through the ranks at MK Dons and made over 100 appearances for the club before joining Sheffield United in 2017. He spent seven years with United and signed for Greek club Panathinaikos in summer 2024. In a statement released after his death, Baldock's family said: 'George, you were the most special father, fiance, son, brother, uncle, friend, team-mate and person. 'Your enthusiasm and infectious personality brought so much love to those that were fortunate enough to know you and those that adored you from the stands. 'We will forever cherish the special memories we have of you and you will continue to live on in your beautiful son.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Footballer George Baldock died from drowning in his own pool in Athens, inquest finds
Former Sheffield United and MK Dons footballer George Baldock died from drowning in his own swimming pool, an inquest has found. as the result of an accident and had no drugs or alcohol in his system, the inquest at Milton Keynes Coroner's Court heard on Wednesday. The Buckinghamshire-born defender, who played for Greece, was found in the pool at his address in the Glyfada district of Athens on 9 October and efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. A post-mortem found no drugs or alcohol in his system and that he had a very large heart "that would have meant that he was susceptible to heart arrythmias", where the heart beats too fast, too slowly or irregularly. His family had previously said in a statement that Baldock had "tragically drowned" whilst swimming in the pool at his home. An investigation by Greek police after the incident also found no evidence of criminal activity. Read more from Sky News: Tributes were paid across the country in the days after Baldock's death, including by his former clubs and at a Nations League match between England and Greece at Wembley, where the stadium held a period of silence and both teams wore black armbands. In a statement released at the time, Baldock's family said: "George, you were the most special father, fiance, son, brother, uncle, friend, team-mate and person. "Your enthusiasm and infectious personality brought so much love to those that were fortunate enough to know you and those that adored you from the stands. "We will forever cherish the special memories we have of you and you will continue to live on in your beautiful son."
