Who was Marvin Brown? GoFundMe raises over $86,000 for wife and kids of former Bristol city footballer as he dies 42 amid battle with cancer

Marvin Brown, a former footballer who was known for being the youngest player to play in the first team for Bristol City FC, has died at the age of 42 after suffering from aggressive bile duct cancer.

Just weeks before he died, he had been placed in end of life care, and tributes have flooded in from fans, former players and loved ones on social media.

Born and raised in Bristol, Marvin Brown joined the Bristol City Academy when he was just eight years old, and in 1999, he made history by making his debut for the club's first team at 16 years and 71 days old.

We were saddened to hear of the passing of Marvin Brown aged 42.

Marvin joined the Bristol City Academy at the age of eight and went on to become the club’s youngest player, aged just 16 years and 71 days in September 1999.

While at the club, Marvin featured for England… pic.twitter.com/0fyClSz3vk

— Bristol City FC (@BristolCity) October 27, 2025

He subsequently represented England at Under 16 and Under 17 levels before going on to represent a number of clubs, including Forest Green Rovers, Torquay United, Yeovil Town, Tamworth, and Cheltenham Town.

Brown retired from professional soccer and coaching and obtained his UEFA A Licence and established Total Pro Soccer, a coaching company aimed at developing young players.

As a mentor and calm personality, Brown continued to inspire those who aspired to be players long after he stopped playing. Bristol City honored their past player with a statement on X, writing:

"We were saddened to hear of the passing of Marvin Brown aged 42... A proud Bristolian, Marvin founded Total Pro Soccer, a development centre for young boys in the Bristol area and worked as an Academy coach at Bristol City alongside... Our sincere condolences go to his family & friends."

A look into Marvin Brown's health struggles and the GoFundMe campaign

Marvin Brown, diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, had multiple life threatening health conditions. For many years, he struggled with ulcerative colitis and a rare liver ailment called primary sclerosing cholangitis before being treated for colon cancer in 2022.

Nevertheless, he continued to coach football, operate his business, and fulfill the role of devoted husband and father until the end of his life.

After receiving the awful news of his terminal diagnosis, a GoFundMe campaign titled “Support For Alexis & Her Girls as They Face the Unimaginable” was set up to help his wife, Alexis and his two young daughters, who are 11 and 8. It is now at over £86,000 this week, with incredible generosity from the public for the family.

Think we should be backing Marvin Brown all we can sad news families having a real tough time also has a gofundme page if you want to donate help his wife and kids when that time comes 🙏. pic.twitter.com/kcwoYH1H7U

— Michael Thresher (@LaSharkAttack) October 20, 2025

A family friend named Georgie established the fundraiser and characterized Marvin as “the most chilled, kind-hearted, quietly funny person you will ever meet.” The funds will supposedly be utilized for funeral expenses, paying the mortgage, and memory boxes for his daughters.

"Alexis is doing everything she can to hold their family together, working full time, caring for their daughters, and spending every spare moment at the hospital... Let’s show Alexis and her girls that they’re not alone." the campaign read.

Alexis Brown provided a very sad update on the fundraiser that confirmed Marvin Brown had passed away, stating:

"I can’t quite believe I am posting this and it breaks my heart to have to say that Marv passed away this morning. It still doesn’t feel real and we miss him so much already. We’ve had an absolutely amazing 26 years together and life won’t ever be the same without him."

A charity football match had been scheduled to take place at Bath City’s Twerton Park in early November to raise money for Brown and his family. The charitable event will likely continue in his memory after his death.