"He is always with us," Barton Town manager Anthony Bowsley told bbc.co.uk, and that line explains this weekend better than any match preview could. Before Barton Town Old Boys host Chorley in the FA Cup third qualifying round, the club will again walk out with Hitchy #1 on the back of their shirts and James Hitchcock's plaque in view by the entrance to the players' tunnel.

Hitchcock's memory has not been left to occasional tributes or one-off ceremonies. At Barton, it has become part of the place.

The details Barton have made permanent

The shirt is the clearest sign of that. Barton wear Hitchy #1 on the back, a simple gesture that former team-mate and friend Andy Norfolk said still lands every time he gets changed.

Speaking to bbc.co.uk, Norfolk said: "Before each game I look at the back of the shirt and have my 10 seconds with Hitchy before I put it on."

There is also a plaque at the entrance to the players' tunnel in memory of Hitchcock. Those details matter more in a ground that holds 3,000, where reminders are close, visible and hard to treat as background decoration.

Barton have also made the tribute part of their calendar. They meet Bridlington Town every year for the James Hitchcock Memorial Trophy, raising funds for the Victim Support National Homicide Service.

Family, grief and the tie with Chorley

Hitchcock was 32, a former Leeds United academy player, when he died in December 2024 after being punched on a visit to York Railway Station. His widow April and their son Freddie, now aged two, will be at the home tie against Chorley.

April told bbc.co.uk: "It's really sad looking at where James used to stand in goal and saying 'where is he?'"

That sense of absence is still raw in the family, and the club has not tried to box it off as something from the past. Chris Hitchcock told bbc.co.uk: "I don't live any more - I exist."

Bowsley's line about Hitchcock always being with the club can sound like standard football sentiment until you look at the routine Barton have built around him. The shirts stay the same. The plaque stays in place. The memorial fixture returns every year.

More than a cup tie

There will still be a game to play against Chorley, but the fixture sits inside something bigger for Barton. This story is less about a cup run than about how a non-league club has chosen to carry one of its own.

Norfolk put it simply when he spoke about the shirts: "It's a beautiful thing to have on the shirt."

When Barton face Chorley, April and Freddie will be there, Hitchy #1 will be on the players' backs, and Hitchcock's plaque will still meet them at the tunnel.

FAQ

Why is Barton Town's FA Cup tie with Chorley being treated as a tribute to James Hitchcock?

Because James Hitchcock's memory remains built into the club. Barton Town wear Hitchy #1 on the back of their shirts, have a plaque by the entrance to the players' tunnel, and family and former team-mates still speak about him as part of daily life at the ground ahead of the tie with Chorley.

What tributes have Barton Town made for James Hitchcock?

Barton Town have added Hitchy #1 to the back of their shirts and placed a memorial plaque at the entrance to the players' tunnel. The club also meet Bridlington Town every year for the James Hitchcock Memorial Trophy, which raises funds for the Victim Support National Homicide Service.

Who was James Hitchcock and what happened to him?

James Hitchcock was a former Barton Town goalkeeper and a former Leeds United academy player. He was 32 when he died in December 2024 after being punched on a visit to York Railway Station. His widow April, their son Freddie and his family remain closely connected to the club.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →