MORE THAN JUST A GAME OF FOOTBALL

 

Photo Gary House 

Printed in the National League South game v Welling United Saturday 18th February 2022. We lost 3-0 in front of 655

You could set your clock by Old John. As soon as The Bevy doors opened he was there with his small change while a pint of John Smiths was bought to his table.

A man of few words, I never knew much about him, apart from the fact that he lived in the supported housing down the road from the pub.

He couldn’t get his head round what was happening during lockdown and would knock on the door hoping we would be open. We supported him with our meals on wheels service and after a few health scares, helped push for a care package. He was forever losing his keys and bank card and we had emergency numbers to try and sort it. We recently arranged for a hair and beard cut in the pub where he told the hairdresser she had made his day. After a few pints of John Smiths someone would walk him across the road or to his flat.

On Christmas Day at the Bevy, we sorted out free dinner for anyone we knew who would be on their own. John finished his lunch, took a sip of John Smiths and then fell asleep for the last time. It was traumatic for everyone, but the best place to go for John who had no family except for the pub. Staff and regulars and his care workers packed out the church then headed to the Bevy after for his wake.

There are so many people like John in this country, who slip under the radar, who don’t know how to navigate the paperwork that the ever shrinking government safety net demands. John was very fortunate that he had a community pub down the bottom of his street, whose whole ethos is providing as best we can for everyone. But up and down the country these local pubs and spaces are shutting, just at a time when they are needed more than ever.

Luckily, football clubs engender such passion, it makes closing them down unthinkable for their supporters. Slough spent 15 long years homeless, plummeting down the leagues and being beaten by the village teams that surround its borders. A hardcore of around 300 never gave up, turning up week after week, where 90 minutes of football would inevitably spoil a good day out.

One of these stalwarts was Noreen Bridle, who recently passed away at the age of 91.

Noreen supported Slough for over 50 years and attended well over a thousand games. Her son Pete used to say the first thing anyone ever said to him at the football was 'Where's Noreen?'

Born in County Kerry in the Republic of Ireland in the 1930's, Noreen's first Slough game was at the Dolphin in the mid' 60's along with husband Max and sons Ted and Pete.

When we protested outside the Town Hall about the councils lack of concern at the Rebels being homeless, it was Noreen who led the arguments with Richard Stokes, then leader of Slough Council.

Noreen told me what she really loved was travelling to away games on the Slough coach and enjoying the company of the family of Slough supporters. The atmosphere at home games, meeting all the fellow fans and hearing what was going on.

At the end of season awards event in May 2015, Noreen was jointly awarded the Chris Sliski Club Person of the Year award for her years of dedication.

After the Dover game, with preparations getting underway for Jean Lightfoot's 75th birthday, her son Pete told me he wasn’t going home yet because there was nothing to go home for anymore.

It's times like these, when your football club becomes much more than just 90 minutes on the pitch, and about the people that come together on matchdays. To the superfans like Noreen, who stuck with Slough through thick and thin. To her sons who will need support, friendly faces and an arm on their shoulders from their football family.

RIP Noreen. Once a Rebel, Always A Rebel.