Yeovil Town are back in action this afternoon with a game against Boreham Wood. It is their first game since the death of their captain Lee Collins.
Last Thursday players and staff along with Collins's partner and close family held a two minute applause on the pitch.
"I was really, really pleased when Lee’s family turned up,” said manager Darren Sarll.
"They wanted to be a part of it. It made it a really personal moment for us. That was a huge, huge step for a lot of us. It was a really tough day but we managed to train afterwards with some sort of semblance of quality."
The club have brought in a therapist and are working with a mental health charity. Help has also come from both Cardiff and Leyton Orient. They dealt with the tragic deaths of Emiliano Sala and Justin Edinburgh respectively. There have also been numberous messages of support from clubs such as Tottenham and Torquay.
One particular tribute:
'Your passion and energy towards rebuilding this club from the lowest point in the lives of fans my age will never be forgotten. It was an honour to watch you play and call you our captain.'
Snall admits it might be difficult giving a team talk before kick-off.
"My lip goes … as soon as I see Carl Dickinson [the vice-captain] I start to cry. Lee is very much here with us. His locker is still his locker and his armband will be his armband. We’ll carry him with us. That the players, after two and a half weeks, are ready to go down the tunnel and back on to the pitch is an incredible show of strength."
The club says that in time they hope to pay tribute to Collins in their 'Garden of Rememberance' which is home to a memorial to Adam Stansfield, the former Yeovil and Hereford player.
Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/16/yeovil-still-raw-before-first-game-since-captain-lee-collins-tragic-death