Bolton Wanderers Mourn Councillor David Chadwick 2026

Key Points

• Councillor David Chadwick, who passed away earlier this week, is being mourned by Bolton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers in the Community.
• He was the Deputy Mayor of Bolton and he served the people of Westhoughton for more than 30 years.
• He was the Mayor of Bolton in 2025/26 and he is remembered for being dedicated, warm, with great humor and pride in the town.
• A loyal supporter of Bolton Wanderers, Chadwick possessed a season ticket for almost all of his life.
• While he was the Mayor, he chose Bolton Wanderers in the Community among his three charities for the year.
• He made an official donation of £5,000 to the community organization in May.
• Chairman of Bolton Wanderers, Sharon Brittan says that Chadwick was a gentle and proud Boltonian.
• The Chief Executive of Bolton Wanderers in the Community, Ben Lawton said that Chadwick’s work had helped people throughout the borough.

Bolton (Manchester Mirror) September 16, 2026 – Bolton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers in the Community have paid tribute to Councillor David Chadwick, Deputy Mayor of Bolton, following his death on Wednesday morning.

The club announced Chadwick’s death in a statement titled “Club pays tribute to Councillor David Chadwick”. The statement said everyone at Bolton Wanderers Football Club and Bolton Wanderers in the Community was “deeply saddened” by his passing.

Chadwick served the people of Westhoughton for more than three decades. His public service included work as a Westhoughton Town Councillor and as ward councillor for Westhoughton South. He also held senior responsibilities including Cabinet Member for Transport and chair of the Licensing Committee.

The club said Chadwick’s public work extended beyond elected office. He served as a school governor, worked as a charity trustee and volunteered with community groups across the borough.

Who was Councillor David Chadwick?

Councillor David Chadwick was a long-serving public representative in Bolton and Westhoughton who held a range of civic, charitable and community roles.

According to Bolton Wanderers’ official statement, Chadwick was inaugurated as Mayor of Bolton for 2025/26. During his mayoral year, he represented the town with what the club described as dedication, warmth and good humour.

At his Mayor Making ceremony in May 2025, Chadwick said:

“There can be no prouder Boltonian than me as I represent the town through the coming year.”

The statement presented that remark as consistent with Chadwick’s longstanding connection to Bolton. He grew up in Morris Green, where his parents ran a confectioner’s shop. As a child, he played football in the backstreets of Bolton before attending St Bede’s C of E School and Bolton County Grammar School.

Chadwick later worked in the textile industry and at the Royal Bolton Hospital. His professional and civic life remained closely connected to the borough, while his support for Bolton Wanderers continued from childhood.

How did Bolton Wanderers remember Chadwick?

Bolton Wanderers chairman Sharon Brittan led the club’s tributes to Chadwick.

In the statement published by Bolton Wanderers, Brittan said she was “deeply saddened” to learn of his death. She highlighted his more than 30 years of service to Bolton and Westhoughton, as well as his year as Mayor of Bolton.

Brittan said Chadwick carried out the mayoral role with “real warmth, good humour and enormous pride”. She also referred to his description of himself as the “proudest Boltonian of all”.

The chairman placed particular emphasis on Chadwick’s relationship with Bolton Wanderers. She said he had been a Wanderer from childhood and had held a season ticket for most of his life.

Brittan also noted that Chadwick chose Bolton Wanderers in the Community as one of his mayoral charities and raised thousands of pounds for the organisation’s work across the borough.

“That choice told you everything about where his heart was,” Brittan said, according to the club’s statement.

She described Chadwick as kind and said that his kindness was what she would remember most from the time she spent with him.

Brittan offered condolences to Chadwick’s wife, Valerie, his children Matthew and Victoria, his grandchildren and everyone who knew him. She concluded her tribute by saying: “May he rest in eternal peace.”

Which charities did David Chadwick support?

During his mayoral year, Chadwick selected three charities to support.

They were:

• Bolton Wanderers in the Community.
• The Critical Care Unit at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.
• Westhoughton Community Assist Service.

The club said Chadwick presented Bolton Wanderers in the Community with a cheque for £5,000 in May.

The donation was connected to his mayoral charitable work and supported the organisation’s programmes across the borough. Bolton Wanderers in the Community is the charitable arm associated with the football club and works with people and communities in the Bolton area.

Ben Lawton, chief executive of Bolton Wanderers in the Community, said Chadwick’s decision to select the organisation as one of his charities had meant “an enormous amount” to everyone involved.

Lawton said the money Chadwick raised went directly into the charity’s work with people across the borough. He also praised Chadwick for giving his time freely to numerous good causes in Bolton.

“Bolton is a better place for the work he did and we are very grateful to him,” Lawton said in the statement published by Bolton Wanderers.

Lawton also expressed his condolences to Valerie and the rest of Chadwick’s family.

What was Chadwick’s connection with Bolton Wanderers?

Chadwick’s relationship with Bolton Wanderers began in childhood.

The club said he was a supporter from a young age and held a season ticket for most of his life. His football connection formed part of a broader relationship with Bolton, where he was born and raised.

His early life in Morris Green included playing football in the town’s backstreets. That personal history helped connect his civic work with his identity as a Boltonian and a lifelong Wanderer.

During his time as Mayor of Bolton, his decision to support Bolton Wanderers in the Community brought together his public responsibilities, charitable interests and connection with the club.

The organisation’s chief executive said the funds raised through Chadwick’s mayoral term would be used in its work across the borough. The club’s statement did not provide a full breakdown of the programmes supported by the £5,000 donation.

What did David Chadwick do in public service?

Chadwick’s public service covered local government, education, healthcare and voluntary work.

He served as a Westhoughton Town Councillor and represented Westhoughton South as a ward councillor. The Bolton Wanderers statement said he also held the position of Cabinet Member for Transport and chaired the Licensing Committee.

His work as a school governor connected him with education, while his role as a charity trustee and his volunteering with local community groups reflected his involvement outside formal politics.

The club described his service to Westhoughton and Bolton as lasting more than 30 years. His appointment as Mayor of Bolton for 2025/26 marked a prominent stage in that public career.

The official statement did not give details of the circumstances surrounding his death. It said only that he died on Wednesday morning.

What have Bolton Wanderers said about his family?

Bolton Wanderers extended its sympathy to Chadwick’s immediate family and to others who knew him.

Sharon Brittan named his wife Valerie, his children Matthew and Victoria and his grandchildren in her tribute. She also offered condolences to everyone who had worked with or known Chadwick during his public, charitable and personal life.

Ben Lawton separately expressed his thoughts to Valerie and Chadwick’s family. Both statements focused on the loss to the family, the club, the community organisation and the wider borough.

The tributes did not announce funeral arrangements or any further public memorial plans.

Why is the tribute significant for Bolton?

The tribute is significant because Chadwick’s life connected local government, community service, charitable work and Bolton Wanderers.

He was not described solely through his political positions. The club’s statement also highlighted his work as a school governor, charity trustee and volunteer, alongside his background in Morris Green and his lifelong support for the football club.

His mayoral charity choices showed how his civic role was linked to local organisations. By selecting Bolton Wanderers in the Community, the Critical Care Unit at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Westhoughton Community Assist Service, he directed attention and fundraising towards causes serving people in the borough.

The statements from Sharon Brittan and Ben Lawton also showed the value placed on Chadwick’s personal qualities. Both referred to his generosity, warmth and willingness to give time to others.

The official club statement is the source for the details of Chadwick’s public service, football allegiance, charitable choices and the tributes from Brittan and Lawton. The club did not identify an individual journalist as the author of the statement.

Background: David Chadwick’s civic and community role

David Chadwick served Westhoughton and Bolton for more than 30 years through elected office and voluntary work. He was a Westhoughton Town Councillor and ward councillor for Westhoughton South, and he held responsibilities including transport and licensing.

His mayoral year for 2025/26 placed him at the centre of Bolton’s civic life. The role also gave him an opportunity to support three charities, including Bolton Wanderers in the Community.

Chadwick’s connection with Bolton Wanderers began during childhood and continued through his long-term season-ticket membership. His support for the club was therefore both personal and longstanding.

The £5,000 donation presented to Bolton Wanderers in the Community in May formed part of his charitable activity during his mayoral term. The organisation said the funds would support its work with people across the borough.

Prediction: How could this affect Bolton supporters and the community?

For Bolton Wanderers supporters, Chadwick’s death is likely to be marked through tributes from the club, supporters’ groups and the wider Bolton community. His status as a lifelong fan and former Mayor means his passing has significance beyond the football club itself.

Bolton Wanderers in the Community may also continue highlighting the projects supported by funds raised during Chadwick’s mayoral year. The organisation’s statement indicates that the money raised will contribute directly to work across the borough.

For local residents, the immediate effect is likely to be a period of public mourning and recognition of Chadwick’s long civic service. Any future memorial, ceremony or matchday tribute would depend on announcements from the family, the club, Bolton Council or relevant community organisations.

At present, Bolton Wanderers has confirmed the tribute and condolences but has not announced further arrangements.