John Berylson, Millwall English soccer club owner, dies in car crash in Massachusetts
The owner of a soccer team in England was killed in a car accident in Massachusetts on July 4th.
John Berylson, the 70-year-old owner of the Millwall Football Club in London, was the driver of a vehicle that lost control on a curve, rolled into a ravine and came to a rest against a tree in Falmouth in eastern Massachusetts Tuesday morning, according to the Falmouth Police Department. Berylson was trapped inside the overturned vehicle and responders extricated him using mechanical tools. Police said he succumbed to his injuries from the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Millwall Football Club honors owner
The football club said in a statement Tuesday it was mourning the death of its "beloved owner and chairman." Since 2006, Berylson had owned the club that competes in the English Football League Championship, the second highest soccer division in England behind the Premier League.
"John’s sudden and tragic passing will unquestionably impact all those who were fortunate to have known him. He was a truly great man, incredibly devoted to his family, and a person of such remarkable generosity, warmth, and kindness," the club said. "John revelled in the club’s underdog status and mentality. He related strongly to such values and identity and adored Millwall supporters. He was fiercely loyal to all his staff, and both they and the fan base will miss him beyond measure."
Berylson began his tenure as owner in the third division, but during his time Millwall won promotion to the Championship twice, with the last done in 2017. The club finished eighth last season.
Current coach Gary Rowett reflected on the type of person Berylson was in a video shared Wednesday.
“One of the players mentioned they’d never heard a bad word said about John,” Rowett said. “I think that pretty much sums up what an amazing individual he was.
"Not only is it devastating news the last 24 hours for anyone who knew John, it’s very, very hard to comprehend just something of that magnitude."