Family say their son and brother died because of "needless" Shoreham Airshow flight

The Grimstone family have spoken of their difficulty to cope one year on with the loss of the 23-year-old, his close friend and teammate Jacob Schilt and nine other men because of what went wrong with a “vintage plane flying for fun”.

The family said their grief would never go away and every day his parents wish it was them and not Matt who was in the wrong place at the wrong time at The Sussex Pad.

Matt was among the first victims to be identified within 24 hours of the fateful crash of August 22 last year.

He was on his way with teammate Jacob to play for Worthing United against Loxwood in the Southern Combination Premier Division at the club’s ground in Lyons Way when tragedy struck on the A27.

The Grimstone family of father Phil, mother Sue and brothers David and Paul find it hard to believe that a whole year has passed by since they lost Matt.

In an exclusive statement to The Argus, the family said: “The past year has just been a blur, and we know it will be a long time before we come to terms with our grief.

“It will never go away and we have to learn to live with it - it is every parent’s worst nightmare to lose a child at any age.

“There is not a day goes past when we wish it could have been us and not him, our lives will never be the same.”

In the aftermath of the crash, the family called publicly for aerobatic displays to be restricted to being performed solely over the sea and not over populated areas and busy roads.

A year on and they are still struggling with the circumstances in which Matt’s life was taken far too soon.

The family said: “We find it hard to bear, knowing that Matt, Jacob and the nine other men died because of a vintage plane flying for fun, for entertainment.

“It was not a case of going on a journey from A to B.

“It was a thoroughly needless and unnecessary flight in our eyes.”

LOVE OF FOOTBALL CAUSED PLAYER’S DEATH BUT IS ALSO HIS LEGACY

IT WAS football that Matt Grimstone lived for, it was football that brought him to the place where he died and it is through football that his name has lived on.

The 23-year-old was travelling in his car with his Worthing United team-mate Jacob Schilt to the club’s stadium at Lyons Farm for a 3pm kick-off against Loxwood.

It was a usual Saturday morning for the football-loving Brightonian who had enjoyed a weekend lie-in before watching Soccer AM, having a bite to eat and preparing himself for the game.

He drove off at 1pm and his family never saw him again. In 22 minutes, their lives would change forever.

Now all the family can do is treasure the memories they have of Matt.

One which mother Sue will always cherish is that of a camping trip a month before he died.

The family went on a two-day trip down the River Medway and his father Phil captured a serene moment where Matt and Sue were floating on the river.

Born and raised in Brighton, Matt was the youngest of three brothers.

He became a goalkeeper at a young age, volunteering when playing for Withdean Youth because nobody else wanted to play in goal.

He impressed so much that the goalie label stuck for the next 15 years and that became his position.

He started playing organised football aged eight for Balfour Junior School and then going on to play in a very talented Varndean School team alongside Jacob and current Albion centre-back Lewis Dunk.

Matt then joined Mile Oak FC but his opportunities were limited due to competition for places and his work commitments on a Saturday but it was not long before he was snapped up by Worthing United where he went on to become a valued and popular team member.

In his final full season, Matt along with Jacob helped Worthing United win the Sussex County League Division and cup double.

But there was much more to Matt than just football and his family remember him for his knowledge, his generosity and his positivity.

The Grimstones remember vegetarian Matt’s skills in the kitchen, his ability to whip up a lasagne, curry or his delicious lentil plop which they say tasted a lot better than it sounds.

Matt was also adept at amazing family and friends with his amateur conjuring tricks, forever picking up and trying out new card and mind tricks.

His family said: “Matthew seemed to make time for everyone.

“He was never flustered.

“Matt was such a lovely, positive person, who gave off such a strong presence.

“He had so much more to give, so much more to live.

“We miss him so much.”

In the wake of his death, both Mile Oak and Worthing United paid tribute with football shirts and flowers at their grounds and continue to remember their former player now.

A memorial stone in memory of Matt will be unveiled at Mile Oak’s ground at the Mile Oak Recreation Ground tomorrow ahead of their game against Steyning which Phil and Sue will attend.

Worthing United’s memorial crest remembers both Jacob and Matt and the club is hosting a two-minute applause and a minute’s silence on Monday.

Two memorial cup games featuring both teams were played at Sussex FA’s Lancing headquarters earlier this month.

The family have nothing but praise for the clubs and for Brighton and Hove Albion too.

Matt had worked his way up to groundsman at Albion’s training facility having begun seven years earlier with the match-day event team at the Withdean.

The club were quick to pay tribute once the terrible news had been confirmed and organised a memorial event before the Seagull’s match with Hull in September with a proportion of gate receipts going to the Shoreham Airshow Fund.

The club’s ground staff also got together to arrange a bench and plaque for Matt at the memorial garden outside the American Express Community Stadium.

The family have also been grateful for the support of Deacon Julie Newson of St Luke’s Church in Brighton for her support in the darkest times of visiting Matt’s car where the family laid a wreath.

Special mention was also given to Lancing Parish Council and local businesses who paid for 11 trees at Headborough Gardens in memory of the victims.

The family added: “The local community have been a source of great comfort.

“The poignant photo of hundreds of people on the bridge at Shoreham speaks volumes.

“It showed people cared, they wanted to show their grief.

“That meant so much to us.”