RUGBY LEAGUE NEWS:
| Goodbye to a true Hero | ||
| Written by: Black Kitty (Bluebags) | ||
| February 25th 2010 07:11 PM | ||
Now I write in the past tense of a man that has meant more to me then any words could ever describe. A man who left this world on the 1st September, and left us wondering why? A man who could not be replaced by a hundred ‘sporting heroes’ no matter how big their paycheck. A man with a passion for the game that could not be surpassed by a million coaches screaming from their glass boxes. A man who will be missed at every school game in a tiny little town in the middle of no-where New South Wales. My Grandfather. Adrian Vickery, better known to most as Stumpy and forever to his grandchildren as Fardie. He was a man, who on the death of his beloved first wife, fought the laws of the time to maintain custody of his five young children. His life, as you can imagine, would have become a never ending cycle of hard work at his labour and hard work at his home. But yet, no one can ever recall him second guessing his decision. Not even when having to fight child welfare to prove he could raise his children on his own. Though truth be told a man loved so much by the community was never alone, and small towns being what they used to be, he had the backing of everyone that had the pleasure to know his name. So for a time I think football took a back seat, though it never seemed to argue its place. It must have seemed like forever, but then a grandson came along that had footy fever. Not that he cared any less for the rest of us, but it was being able to go out every weekend and watch his grandson play. It became obvious to everyone that this was one of his proudest moments. I remember watching games with him in these past few years, they were always the best games to watch. You couldn’t get anyone better to watch a game with than Fardie. Swearing at the telly for all the world, like if he yelled loud enough they’d hear him, and obey. Fardie was a true football devotee. Every weekend, since my step grandmother's passing, he would pack his picnic and thermos of tea and head off to local Tigers games or school comps. He would be there, shouting from the sidelines. Offering his sage wisdom and words of advice, like, ‘just hit ‘em harder’. He was so loved by them all that at his funeral a Tigers team member managed to find a jersey from the era in which he played. There it sat on his coffin, nestled beside the flowers from his beloved family and a picture of his smiling face. At their semi-finals that weekend, the team wore black armbands and stood for a minutes silence in his memory. He wasn’t sitting in his normal spot by the sideline, but he would still be cursing them with every mistake and cheering every try. He’ll always be doing it from the best seat in the house. He was man that ever only played for a local team, but who showed his passion for life and his family so strongly that it could not be denied or ignored by anyone that ever knew him. A man that is a true hero, not a magazine cut out labelled hero for scoring a winning try, though win he did. He won by leaving behind him a legacy of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who will never forget him and who are all better people from having had him in their lives. I wish my unborn child could have meet their Fardie, it’s one thing that will break my heart forever. Though I promise him this, even though my baby will never meet him, they will hear stories of this wonderful man for as long as I have the breath to tell them. R.I.P Fardie. My Hero. Posted in the F7s Matches forum in September 2009 The F7s is an article writing competition hosted on The Front Row forums here on LeagueUnlimited.com To join a team, click on the banner below  FOR ALL F7s MATCHES, CLICK HERE |
