Derby County: How club's family fund helped two men deal with grief during Rams' survival bid

"They fought as hard as they could to live. The fight the players showed reminded us of what they had done."

The chance to watch a financially stricken Derby County battle to try to avoid relegation when the club's very existence was threatened last season helped John Langton and Graham Horton deal with the grief of losing their wives.

Langton's wife Pat died from cancer in December, less than two years after his sister and Horton's wife Margaret also passed away from the same disease.

"It destroyed me, absolutely destroyed me," Horton said of his wife's death after 30 years of marriage.

Horton left work to care for his wife for more than a decade after she suffered a series of illnesses before passing away.

"When we lost her, we almost lost him as well," Langton said of his brother-in-law.

"He just cut himself off. The only reason to come out was when we got tickets here."

Graham Horton with his wife Margaret and John Langton and his wife Pat

Those tickets were for the Rams' dramatic 1-0 victory against relegation rivals Peterborough at a packed Pride Park in February. They were given to the pair by the Derby County Community Trust as part of its Family Fund - a campaign inspired by and paid for by the club's supporters.

Lifelong Rams fans Langton and Horton were two of more than 1,500 people who would otherwise have been unable to attend matches for various reasons last season. They were given tickets after applying to the scheme, which generated £33,000 for the football club.

'You don't support a club, you live it'

The fund was a way for the Rams to help the community which helped it during its greatest time of need.

"It just really brings you to life," Horton told BBC East Midlands Today.

"To stand there and have something to cheer about, to be excited about, for 90 minutes is a release."

It was during Derby County's darkest days - the club spent 282 days in administration - that its impact on and importance to the community around it was emphasised more than ever.

The Trust, a charitable organisation associated to the Rams, was the biggest Derby County employer with more than 80 staff delivering myriad programmes, ranging from cancer recovery, addiction rehabilitation and dementia projects to coaching in schools and overseeing a number of disability football teams.

Despite the club's troubles, Derby was recognised as the English Football League's community club of the season for the Midlands.

When supporters marched to the ground in January and held aloft banners and flags in protest against the club's plight, they stood up to try to save the 138-year-old club.

Supporters fundraised for the banner that was carried during the protest march in January

Leftover cash collected by fans for the huge banner at the heart of that march was given to the Trust - which works with 30,000 people in Derbyshire annually - and inspired the Family Fund.

"With all the troubles last year, it was just like losing another partner," Langton said of the club's brush with financial ruin before it was saved by local businessman David Clowes.

"You couldn't do without it. There was nothing more important than keeping it, because you don't support a club, you live it - it's part of you."

Derby's interim manager Liam Rosenior, who worked as Wayne Rooney's assistant last season, said the generosity of fans, the work of the club and bond with the community "showed the importance" of the Rams when they were "going through the difficult times in administration".

"That's what this football club is built on, the community and helping each other," Rosenior said.

"Every football club is a beacon of light in its community."

The inspiration for Langton was the fight shown by players who "wanted to keep this place going".

Rosenior said he was "privileged" that two brothers in mourning could identify with his side and take comfort in their efforts in such a way.

"It inspires me. It gives me goosebumps hearing that," he added.

"To hear that is amazing and it makes me motivated to give more memories and more images of the football team fighting for the shirt, fighting for people who come to the game who are having difficulties and losing people in their lives.

"That motivates me more than playing against Liverpool [who Derby will face in the Carabao Cup]."

Another 100 supporters will benefit from the fund by attending Saturday's League One game against Peterborough, while more money is being raised so at least 400 more can attend four other matches this season.

Horton will be among the crowd, with the memory of Margaret held as tight as ever.

"She is always with me, no matter where I am," he said.