Tony Johnson: Partner pays tribute to ‘much loved dad, son, brother, uncle and gramps’ who died after post-match brawl in Blackpool

Tony Johnson, 55, was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition after he was wounded outside The Manchester pub on the Promenade at around 7pm on Saturday (March 4).

Officers attended and found Mr Johnson had suffered a “serious head injury”. They administered CPR at the scene before he was taken to hospital for urgent treatment.

Mr Johnson sadly later died in hospital from his injuries in the early hours of Monday morning (March 6).

His partner has since paid an emotional tribute to him, saying: “I am devastated to have lost my best friend, life partner and soul mate in a cruel act.

“Tony was a very much loved dad, son, brother, uncle and Gramps and obviously a beloved friend to many.

“We all, as a family, are so heartbroken and our lives are never going to be the same.

“Thank you to the NHS, staff in A&E and the Critical Care Unit at BVH who all did as much as they could for our loved one.

“Thank you for everyone for reaching out but please could you respect our privacy at this difficult time.

“He will be one missed gentleman and the party will live on through us all, just as he would've wanted.

“Rest in peace my darling, tangerine dreams forever.”

Blackpool FC also paid tribute to Mr Johnson, saying they were “shocked and saddened” by his tragic death.

“All of the thoughts of everyone at the football club go out to Tony's family and friends,” a club spokesman said.

Police believe he was fatally injured in a brawl involving around 15 football fans following the Blackpool v Burnley match at Bloomfield Road earlier that day.

Officers said there is “suggestion he was specifically targeted” at this time.

A 33-year-old man from Burnley was arrested at the scene on suspicion of wounding.

He was later bailed until June 1 pending further enquiries.

Det Chief Insp Tracey McMurdo, of Lancashire Police, said: “Mr Johnson’s family are devastated by their loss and we are supporting them at this incredibly difficult time.

“The incident took place in a busy area and we know there were a lot of people around at the time who will have seen all or part of what happened, and there may also be people who filmed the incident on a mobile phone or captured it on CCTV or dashcam.

“If you have any information that will help us piece together what happened, please get in touch.

“We also continue to ask people not to post any footage they might have on social media.

“Mr Johnson’s family are distressed enough and seeing anything of this nature will only cause them more pain. If you have already posted something online, we respectfully ask that you remove it.”

Anybody with information can call police on 101 or report it online at doitonline.lancashire.police.uk, quoting log number 1262 of March 4.

Independent charity Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.