chris kay

Why does football mean so much to fans? It’s part of our culture. Every two weeks The same pub With the same mates Sat around the same table Telling the same jokes Remembering the same incidents From the same matches And the same unrepeatable stories About the same nights out And reminiscing about the same gigs, and the same albums, from the same bands And planning the same trips To the same away grounds Where we will sit in the same pubs …until one of you isn’t there. When the message came through ‘Paul’s passed away’ my first reaction was ‘Who is Paul?’, the reply ‘Paul is Evil’ I knew him as Evil because that’s how he was introduced over 40 years ago. His nickname is Evil because he was the nicest guy amongst us. No agenda, no side, never complained, always positive, always modest, never trying to be the Alpha Male. All the wives and girlfriends loved him the most of the gang too, because he was always the one that would ask the right questions and be able to speak beyond the sport, music, drink conversations that so many male gatherings descend to. So today is his funeral, he is just 61, and we’ll raise a glass or two and celebrate us being lucky enough to have him as a mate. It will hit worse when it’s the first match of the season at @OfficialBHAFC as there’s a group of lads who are STH that all sit together, and one of those seats will be empty, and you’ll feel beyond crap. Football is the glue that binds us together, but it’s also the most important of the unimportant things in life, as friends, family and health mean so much more. Rest In Peace Evil, we’ll be crying later today because we love you.