Evening, gents. Sorry for the intrusion, but as the last two posts have sadly mentioned, a few days ago we lost a great bloke, a true Shinboner, and BF legend and Moderator.....Lidge.
Lidge was a good friend of mine. He was a champion guy who touched everyone that came into contact with him. Close to 500-odd posters have visited the North board in the last few days to pay their respects, a testament to how well regarded he was by all.
His sudden passing, at such a young age (he'd just turned 40), is a shock to everyone. Tragically, he leaves behind a wife and 4 young kids.
Unbeknown to many opposition supporters, as a founding member of Roosistence (along with myself and a few other good BF folk), Lidge was instrumental in the push to keep our beloved club here in its rightful home in Melbourne last year. He worked tirelessly, devoting his own time and money for no other reason than a love of his club. Even though he was a big man in size, in this instance, he was the quintessential little guy throwing his finger up to corporate football.
And, hey, we won !!
Simply put, Shane (Lidge) embodied everything that is great about the game we love.
On Sunday, we kindly ask that all Swans fans going to the game honour Lidge's memory by wearing a black arm band to the game.
It is only a small gesture - (how hard is it to wrap a bit of black tape around your arm?) - but one that would mean a lot to North fans, and would be a great way to pay our respect to a true football patriot.
Thanks for your time.