Some of you may know Ian, many of you won't but last Tuesday he died suddenly at the age of 59. When I moved to Sussex at the age of 5 he lived just around the corner from me and, being in the same class at school we became inseparable friends. It was he and his parents that first took me to the Goldstone back in 1976, standing in the south stand so I can blame him for the thousands of hours and thousands of £ I've spent over the last 45 years but I don't regret one bit of it.
Unfortunately, we drifted apart as we got to our late teens as he moved to Brighton from Burgess Hill. I heard a whisper he had emigrated to Oz.
Then, a couple of years ago we got linked up on Facebook and since then we had spent many hours in text conversation discussing games he had watched in the early Oz hours over in Perth and sharing memories of the many shenanigans we got up to as youngsters. He was due to visit the UK later this year and we planned to meet up for the first time in 40 years but now that won't happen.
He lived life to the full and in Debs his wife, he had certainly found his soul mate. My condolences to her and their two boys and his brother Kevin and sister Sandra.
Bizarrely, he may well have posted on NSC but I haven't a clue as to his username, I may well have clashed words with him without knowing!!
I shall certainly be raising a glass at the Burnley game to him.
Ian, rest in peace.
Unfortunately, we drifted apart as we got to our late teens as he moved to Brighton from Burgess Hill. I heard a whisper he had emigrated to Oz.
Then, a couple of years ago we got linked up on Facebook and since then we had spent many hours in text conversation discussing games he had watched in the early Oz hours over in Perth and sharing memories of the many shenanigans we got up to as youngsters. He was due to visit the UK later this year and we planned to meet up for the first time in 40 years but now that won't happen.
He lived life to the full and in Debs his wife, he had certainly found his soul mate. My condolences to her and their two boys and his brother Kevin and sister Sandra.
Bizarrely, he may well have posted on NSC but I haven't a clue as to his username, I may well have clashed words with him without knowing!!
I shall certainly be raising a glass at the Burnley game to him.
Ian, rest in peace.
