Two tragedies marred the start of the English soccer season on Saturday when the Watford-Coventry game was postponed after the death of a player in a car crash and former Blackburn manager Ray Harford died at age 58 after a long battle with cancer.
Officials at Watford called off their division one game against the Sky Blues, announcing that one of the squad, Jimmy Davis, who was on loan from Manchester United, had died in a car smash.
Police said that Davis' gray BMW 3-series was in collision with a truck as both vehicles were traveling southbound around dawn. Davis was pronounced dead at the scene and two lanes of the carriageway were closed while investigators examined the scene.
The driver of the lorry was uninjured and Thames Valley police believed Davis was alone in his BMW. Organizers of Sunday's Community Shield game between league champion Manchester United and FA Cup winner Arsenal said there would be a minute's silence before kickoff at Cardiff's Millennium stadium and the players would wear black armbands.
The forward was an England Youth and Under-20 international and United manager Alex Ferguson was stunned by the news.
"You could not meet a nicer and more bubbly character than Jimmy Davis," the Reds manager said.
"He was a player with real potential, that's why we sent him to Watford this season. At 21 he had great promise. We are all really sad. It's terrible news."
Davis played for United in a League Cup loss to Arsenal in November 2001 and was on the bench for a Champions Cup group game at Deportivo de La Coruna in March this year.
Harford, who helped Kenny Dalglish win the Premier League title with Blackburn in 1995 and had spells in charge of Fulham, Luton, Wimbledon, West Bromwich Albion and Queens Park Rangers.
"It is with deep sadness that Millwall Football Club announce the death of coach Ray Harford, who passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning," Millwall said.
"Ray had been fighting a lengthy battle against cancer and his passing will be a great loss to football."
Harford's last job was on the coaching staff at division one Millwall under manager Mark McGhee.
"We are all devastated by this news, even though we knew Ray was very ill," Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis said.
Although the Premier League doesn't kickoff until next weekend, divisions one, two and three began on Saturday.
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