More sad news

[Petunia]

Rest in Peace Nigel.

Condolences to his wife, family and friends.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Its a shit deal that some of us get, although there appears always to be someone worse of than you. I have stage 3 pancreatic cancer, symptoms for only three days and then diagnosis. Was given seven moths to live on the 23rd July but am still here. Among other things I want to see my club ( we all have some ownership) promoted to the Prem and will stick this out for another month to make that happen. For the stats, I don't smoke, drink, eat unhealthily, I exercise regularly having been a triathlete after being a soldier. I avoided death in Iraq and Somalia and so I guess my time has come, but even as i approach death i remain happy, positive and full of ideas.
Like your mate I have no anger or bitterness and having this condition strangely has made me a better person, 55 years old, a 1901 East Platinum ticket holder. Cancer sufferers are not brave, we have no choice, we deal with it. I personally am not fighting it as I don't believe that you can fight something you can't see, feel, taste, hear or touch, but we do challenge the condition. My condolences to you for your friends passing, other than tax, death is the only certainty in life.

I can only agree with those who have commended your post. I thought hard about saying that Nige had lost a 'battle' with cancer, because it is such a cliche, but as someone who had a very brief brush with it about ten years ago but got very very lucky with an early diagnosis, I thought it was appropriate. Some of the treatment becomes a struggle against pain, discomfort, indignity, inconvenience, whatever.

But I completely agree with you about the overuse of the word 'brave' in these circumstances and I said as much at an Albion Roar forum. It suggests that if people don't beat cancer it's because they weren't brave enough or through some other fault of theirs, which is nonsense. I'm not here now because I was brave, but because I was lucky and my doctor and surgeon were good. I assume that you, as a former soldier, are braver than I'll ever be. The best of luck and life for as long as possible.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Just returned home from a long weekend away with the family to read this sad, sad news. I never knew Alex, Alex Dawson oo! oo! personally, but we seemed to share a similar outlook on life and all things Albion as I often found myself agreeing with and laughing at his contributions, and similarly, he mine.

For me, a little bit of NSC is missing tonight. Thanks for the laughs, Alex, Alex Dawson oo! oo! and - no matter what happen this season - after the final ball has been kicked in the final game, I'll raise a glass to your memory. Seems so sad that we will no longer see that avatar on here.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

So sad. I,too,started watching the Albion in the Alex Dawson era. R.I.P Nigel you're posts will be missed.

 

[Hastings gull]

RIP Nigel.

When (not if) we get promoted, there will be many a tear shed in both joy for the achievement, and sadness for those who never got to see it. Like Paul Whelch last week, it seems particularly bloody cruel to be taken this close!

Absolutely -seems so desperately sad.

 

[BN9 BHA]

RIP Nigel.

Very sad news.

 

[stss30]

RIP Nigel. Thoughts are with your friends and family.

 

[Wellesley]

Very sad. RIP.

 

[chucky1973]

Devastating news for his family and such a shame so close to seeing us realise his and a lot of our dreams.
RIP Nigel.

 

[Brownstuff]

Condolences to his family
Will miss the smiley face of his avatar, always assumed the poster looked liked him
Came across as a principled person
God bless

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

RIP and my wishes go to his family-so sad is news such as this..

 

[Blackadder]

Very sorry to hear this. Condolences to Nigel's family,

My thoughts are also with Brighton Mod. Hang on in there mate.

 

[cunningplan]

Very sorry to hear this. All the very best to family and friends from a fellow Albion (and Alex Dawson) fan!

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

A smart and witty poster. Fast to encourage and slow to criticise. Great loss for his family of course, and a loss to the NSC family.

 

[Motogull]

These terrible threads remind me how easy it is to unwittingly build a lot of affection for most NSCers.

RIP fella. So cruel you were denied the ultimate cheer when it was so close.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Very sad news. Thoughtful and insightful poster.

He attended NWSS meetings on occasions, although I don't know him personally.

 

[Gilliver's Travels]

How very sad.
Whether or not Nigel's own surname would fit, maybe the chant – highly effective in its day – could be revived and reassigned, in his honour, to a current striker.

"Tomer, Tomer Hemed. Ooo! Ooo!"

 

[SK1NT]

Very sad day. RIP Nigel. My thoughts are with his poor family.

My mum was diagnosed with cancer a cpl weeks ago at 55. I hear of so many people getting this disease at such young ages. I thought we were meant to be living longer? This horrible disease seems to be everywhere but there will be a day when it won't even be a worry. The sooner the better.

I'm sure there will be many glasses raised on that first prem game of the season for many absent friends lost over the hard 20 years or so endured by many a Brighton fan who won't be there to witness the promised land, however I like to think that they will be lookin down from the best spot in the ground.
[MENTION=26606]Brighton Mod[/MENTION] - good luck mate. Be strong keep positive and I pray you will see many more Brighton games in the prem and the champions league for years and years to come.

 

[Se20]

RIP fellow football fan

 

[Mrs Alex Alex Dawson oo!]

If Nigel was Alex, Alex Dawson ooo! ooo! then I guess that makes me Mrs Alex, Alex Dawson oo! oo!. Who knew he had touched so many people? Your posts were extremely comforting to me, to Gareth and to Emma as we read them.
The man you describe is exactly the man he was in real life. Kind, considered, thought provoking, principled, supportive, at times challenging but always completely selfless. He always put others first and rarely if ever complained.

We are completely devastated by the speed with which he finally went having first been diagnosed with cancer over ten years ago and it saddens me to think that the thing that was driving him on in the last few days he never got to see. He was a life long fan of the Albion. The first game he went to was with his dad in the 60s, and the last game he managed to attend was at Rotherham (how he did that feeling as he did I don’t know). In later years he was often accompanied by one or both of our children, Gareth and Emma (also huge fans) and so the family tradition continues.

The Albion was a big part of his life. Was it just coincidence that as we stepped outside within minutes of his death at the hospice two seagulls circled over us? We were in Crawley!



Nigel Beal 1953-2017