A mounting number of iconic athletes have passed away in the second half of 2024, leaving sports fans reeling.
Pretty much every major sport has seen at least one loss in the last few weeks alone, and the world of soccer joined football, baseball, and even rugby on Oct. 9, 2024 with the death of former Sheffield United defender George Baldock.
Many of the deaths 2024 has suffered so far relate to long-retired athletes who’d reached a natural end to their long lives. That doesn’t make the loss of Luis Tiant or Johan Neeskens any less tragic, but at least they lived long, successful lives before they passed.
Baldock was not so lucky. The beloved soccer player was only 31 years old when he passed, leading to an instantaneous wave of questions regarding his death. He’d only recently made the move from Sheffield United, his longtime team, to Panathinaikos Football Club of Super League Greece, and he had a bright future ahead of him. He’d already worked up an impressive reputation for himself over more than a half-dozen seasons on the field, three of which were spent in the Premier League.
The Greek player spent his career playing as a right-back or right wing-back, and earned a reputation for being a generous and affable team player. It is the potential he held for the future, with a sprawling career still ahead and a young child waiting at home, that’s really hitting fans in the wake of his death, as they ponder the future that was robbed from him.
How did George Baldock die?
31-year-old George Baldock was found dead at his southern Athens home on Oct. 9, 2024, just one day ahead of a scheduled match between his new team, Panathinaikos, and England in the UEFA Nations League. His body was found floating in the pool outside of his home, and, despite life-saving attempts by first responders, they were unable to resuscitate him.
An investigation quickly followed, and preliminary findings ruled out any criminal activity, but a more in-depth investigation is set to follow. Any further information regarding a cause of death — which, as of now, is simply classified as a drowning — have yet to be revealed.
Baldock’s Panathinaikos teammates learned of his demise on the evening of his death, and reportedly struggled to sleep in the wake of the news. Their distress over his passing even urged the Hellenic Football Federation to request a postponement of their Oct. 10 match, but with no future dates available, they had no choice but to play despite their grief.
The beloved soccer player’s body was discovered after his wife alerted authorities. She’d been unable to reach her husband for some time, and after hours spent wondering, she took her concern to police. They subsequently visited his Greek residence, and discovered the 31-year-old’s body in the pool.
A wave of tributes and heartbroken memorials greeted news of Baldock’s premature death, with fans, teammates both current and former, and family members rushing to social media to remember a man “who was admired and adored by all who worked with him.”
Published: Oct 10, 2024 12:44 pm