AND AFTER ALL, YOU’RE OUR KIERAN WALL

Printed in the National League South game v Chelmsford City. Saturday 10th August. First game of the season. Won 2-1 in front of 859

One of the strange things about football is that for 9 months of the year you are almost wed to the same people then - especially if you don't live locally - they fall off a cliff.

Still, who couldn't be excited about the new season - not just for the football but the frenzy of activity that has been happening at Arbour Park after a 50 year lease was signed and the place became ours. We've now got enough bars to have a pub crawl around the ground and have tripled the number in a town that seems to take pleasure in closing watering holes.

But the new season is also tinged with sadness. How we are all going to miss Kieran Wall who dies much to young but was given as you would expect a Slough Town state funeral. 

We’ve all got so many Slough Town stories to tell about Kieran we could publish a book. Let’s call it ‘Tales from the Wonder Wall.’

I could begin with the first time he met my missus on the beach at Weymouth. I only went to get ice creams for the family but in that time he had asked her to marry him.

I can picture Dean and Kieran struggling back after an epic day watching Slough draw with Sutton in the FA Cup. Like a Laurel and Hardy Tribute Act they were in no fit state to get the train - especially with Deans navigational skills - so we managed to find a car to bundle them back home with the passenger shouting at them not to wee on the seats!

Or turning up at trendy Dulwich Hamlet as a fashion car crash and showing up the Slough fans as more hip replacement than hipster.

I went away with him first time Slough played at Torquay. After going out for a meal then a few beers he complained of exhaustion and hunger and got a taxi and a kebab. The taxi drove all of 5 seconds before dropping us off at our hotel and he woke up next to the kebab. Probably not the holiday romance he was hoping for.

Everyone got a bit over excited the first time we played Eastbourne. Slough scored from the half way line, Bill lost his teeth down the toilet and Dean found his hotel but decided to sleep in his car instead. He had booked the honeymoon suite for him and Kieran who slept like a baby unaware his mate was stranded outside.

Being in our favourite Indian restaurant with Kieran occasionally waking up and singing ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn’. That went down well. Clubshop Sue constantly telling him off but Kieran just answering back I love you Sue and then always taking half an hour to get out of the car when her and Aiden dropped him off home.

Kieran was a kind and generous man. He loved his daughters, he loved his football and he loved his music especially Steve Harley who he must have seen a hundred times. Ironically tho he didn’t like Oasis. He had his demons but that didn’t make him bitter or resentful. He was political but even if he didn’t agree with your views that wouldn’t stop him calling you a friend. Mind you it certainly made his point, dressing up in a German army uniform when Nigel Farage visited the Jolly Londoner in Britwell.

It’s really not going to be the same without him on the terraces.

Slough has lost a legendary fan - I don’t think there are many supporters of any club across the country who have their very own song. But most of all we have all lost a very good mate who made us laugh, sometimes made us pull our hair out, but always someone you would want to be around.

So let’s sing a song or two for Kieran today – and for other Rebels no longer with us.

As he used to love to say – ‘We come in peace’ but Kieran my friend - you’ve left us in pieces.