Carlton Town mourn loss of club secretary Paul Shelton

By Matt Badcock
CARLTON TOWN have paid tribute to long-serving secretary Paul Shelton, who passed away over the weekend.
Shelton celebrated 40 years with the EVO-STIK South club last season.
The club says he had recently been ill but was back home recovering after a brief spell in hospital.
In a statement on their website, Carlton chairman Mick Garton said: “I received a phone call off Paul’s close friend and fellow committee man Chris Bailey this morning to tell me this awful news and had to pull over for a time and take it all in, I must admit I was shaking, it is devastating news for first of all his family and in particular his sister Yvonne and all of us at Carlton Town.
“I have been Chairman for 17 years and Paul has been by my side throughout that time as Secretary at the club, he was brilliant at his job and cared deeply for the club, often putting his own money in to help pay towards the outgoings, he worked for the love of the club, never taking out, always putting in and was an invaluable member of our team and not having him around is going to be so strange and equally difficult for so many of us.
“Our thoughts at the moment are obviously with his family but I would just like to thank everyone who has been in touch with me and others at the club today including former managers Tommy Brookbanks and Les McJannet who both worked with Paul for many years and held him in such high regard.
“Trevor Wells and Chris Bailey have been covering for Paul during his recent absence and both have agreed to continue to do so for the immediate future, they are both also in bits over Pauls death.
“Mark Steggles told me tonight he had known Paul for 38 years, president Roger Smith’s friendship with him will be equally over a long and sustained period of time.
“We spent yesterday paying tribute to an 18-year-boy who played for Carlton Town and died recently Brahima Ceesay, we did not expect that 24 hours later, we would be paying tribute to Paul Shelton for the same reason, it has been a sad day indeed and the place will never quite be the same without him. We will miss him so much.”