{"id":7715,"date":"2026-04-06T21:42:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/7715\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T21:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:42:10","slug":"dad-of-two-and-beloved-bolton-fan-jake-36-dies-as-daughter-pays-heartbreaking-tribute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/7715\/","title":{"rendered":"Dad-of-two and beloved Bolton fan Jake, 36, dies as daughter pays heartbreaking tribute"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Bolton Wanderers fans are set to issue a tribute to Jake Rothwell in the 36th minute of the match against Stockport County<\/p>\n<p>13:48, 06 Apr 2026Updated 16:35, 06 Apr 2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0_news1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Jake Rothwell \" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Jake Rothwell (Image: Family handout)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Loving tributes have been paid to a keen Bolton Wanderers fan who has sadly died at the age of just 36.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Farnworth local, Jake Rothwell, sadly died on April 1, his family said. His death was sudden and it is not yet known what the cause was, the M.E.N understands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He leaves behind his partner Beccy and two children Lucia and Theo, as well as his mother Gaynor and siblings Katie and Jordan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Get MEN Premium now for just \u00a31 <a aria-label=\"[object Object]Link opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/subscribe\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">HERE<\/a> \u2013 or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking <a aria-label=\"[object Object]Link opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/I185InYeKqOLydUg3TjGzw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">HERE<\/a>. And don&#8217;t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters <a aria-label=\"[object Object]Link opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/newsletter-preference-centre\/?utm_source=newslettersignupheader\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">His partner, Beccy Wheeler, said: &#8220;He was my best friend and the love of my life. The funniest, kindest, loudest person.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Paying tribute, his daughter Lucia described her dad as &#8216;so loving&#8217; and &#8216;full of laughter&#8217;. &#8220;I&#8217;m so much like him, and I&#8217;ll carry him with me every day. I love him always and I&#8217;ll miss him forever.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A lifelong <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/all-about\/bolton\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Bolton<\/a> Wanderers fan, Jake went to many matches together with his friend Luke Robinson, including to the club&#8217;s EFL victory over Bournemouth at Wembley Stadium in 2023. &#8220;He would always celebrate so loudly, blowing whistles and blowing my ears out,&#8221; Luke remembered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He, alongside some of Jake&#8217;s loved ones, have organised a tribute for today&#8217;s match at home against <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/all-about\/stockport\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Stockport<\/a> County (April 6), which will see the whole stadium will join in clapping in the 36th minute.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I thought it would be nice for his family to feel that community support in what&#8217;s been such a tough time,&#8221; Luke said.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0_Jake-Rothwell-and-his-daughter.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Jake Rothwell and his daughter\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Jake Rothwell and his daughter(Image: Family handout )<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Luke added: &#8220;You often get the clich\u00e9 after someone passes away that they were irreplaceable. But Jake definitely was, he was one-of-a-kind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;He had that ability to connect with people. He&#8217;d listen into people&#8217;s conversations, and I&#8217;d be cringing, but he would join in, and they&#8217;d bond instantly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;He was very sociable and well-known around Farnworth for the right reasons. He defined the term &#8216;people person&#8217;, he was the loudest and funniest at any party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;He could turn a bad day into a good one. He was such a big character, it&#8217;s so surreal and tough to take that he has gone. But we were lucky to know him in the first place.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Luke&#8217;s post about Jake on the Bolton Wanderers Remembrance Group has attracted more than a hundred comments of support. &#8220;Can guarantee County fans will be right behind this,&#8221; wrote Phil Young. &#8220;Rivalries will always be put to one side for things like this. RIP matey.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Jake&#8217;s family and loved ones have launched a fundraiser to help fund his funeral which can be donated to <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/jake-rothwell?attribution_id=sl%3A8517c1fc-4a1c-4bf3-8ed1-8346d04dd0db&amp;lang=en_GB&amp;ts=1775127374&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_content=amp20_t1&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawRAlYNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeQr7d3K4PCJPk-WCrGC3gpM1Jh2HdNNGFC8ODLCvRX-SD7E16eDy32FPeKTs_aem_4hGATZ6Ql7NDCVu2DWF9Og\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bolton Wanderers fans are set to issue a tribute to Jake Rothwell in the 36th minute of the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7716,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[3211,3938,3939,5,6],"class_list":["post-7715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uk","tag-bolton","tag-bolton-wanderers-fc","tag-farnworth","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116359944113666448","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7715\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}