A FOOTBALL tournament and family barbecue to celebrate the life of Paul Garland, who was found dead in a pub car park on New Year’s Day, is being held on Sunday.

The event will take place at Shrewton recreation ground and has been organised by Mr Garland’s friends and family.

Four teams that Mr Garland played for – Shrewton and Salisbury Boys, The New Inn, Durrington and Boscombe Down – will compete for the Garly Cup, which will presented by Mr Garland’s mother Kathleen.

The event starts at 2pm with a barbecue, children’s entertainment and music, stalls, raffle and other activities.

The first match will kick off at 4pm.

Before the games start, there will be a minute of clapping to remember Mr Garland, 34, who was found dead in the car park of the New Inn in Amesbury at 4.25am on New Year’s Day after a night out with friends.

He died of serious head injuries.

Mr Garland’s death shocked the community who rushed to pay tribute to a “happy-go-lucky and quick witted friend who had a great sense of humour”.

Mr Garland, who attended Stonehenge and Upper Avon schools before going to Plymouth University and later

returning to Amesbury to work in IT, was a keen and talented football player.

His friends hope that if Sunday’s tournament is a success, it will become an annual event.

Any money raised from the event will be placed in Mr Garland’s trust fund and will go to a charity of his family’s choice.

The event is open to everyone and admission is free.

Larkhill soldier Daryl Stephen Talbot, 21, denied murdering Mr Garland when he appeared at Winchester Crown Court on April 11.

He was released on conditional bail and is due to reappear in October.