THE family of a Billingham man, who died from a sudden cardiac arrest after playing football, have joined a campaign endorsed by Fabrice Muamba to place a lifesaving defibrillator in his memory.

John Clayton collapsed without warning shortly after playing in a charity football match, and died aged just 43, in April 2010.

The family of the avid Middlesbrough fan, who have already raised thousands for charity in his memory, are holding a fundraising football match, kicking off at 3pm, followed by an evening event at Billingham Football Club in his honour on Saturday (May 4).

This year the funds raised will go towards an AED (automated external defibrillator) as part of Arrhythmia Alliance's Hearts & Goals campaign to place more public-access AEDs up and down the country.  The devices can be used by anyone to shock a person's heart back into life.

Peter, John's younger brother, who is organising the event along with John's wife, Annette, and their four children, Adam, Alex, Sam and Serena, said: " 

"Because there was no AED there when he collapsed there will always be a doubt that if there had been he might still be here and we will never know."

Hearts & Goals is an Arrhythmia Alliance campaign in partnership with former Bolton midfielder, Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed playing football in March 2012. An AED was used on Fabrice to help save his life.

The charity has also endorsed The Northern Echo's A Chance To Live campaign which is also pushing for more defibrillators in public places.