My dad…

Neil Dawson

UTC Legend
My dad went to the big stadium in the sky tonight, fittingly just as Solanke scored to put us 2-0 up. I’d been with him all day in end of life care but handed over to my sister so we could attend the match in his honour. We got the dreaded text on the half hour mark. To anyone wondering why three people were crying at the final whistle it wasn’t a huge hatred of QPR… to some people it’s an odd way to be come the end but most of you will get it 100%. A fitting brilliant game to end on that dad would have loved (and a crap Ref to whinge at just to put the icing on the cake)

Some of you know my dad as he was always with me. Our first game was Exeter at home in 1983 and I always loved the fact that his last was a win over Man Utd in 2019. He kept threatening to come back in a wheel chair but didn’t and I was glad in a way as I didn’t want his last game to be a home defeat to Preston or something as it would have ruined the story!!

Every big home game he did in that time and every big away game up until Burton Albion when he stopped travelling other than to Southampton. Player wise he loved Sean O’Driscoll, Colin Clarke, Jermaine Defoe and Eddie of course - whose debut he always referred to as a work of art. We had endless arguments about Supa Fletch who I liked but dad being of a certain generation couldn’t get his head around a forward that couldn’t move forward with a ball at his feet. Manager wise none of them had a clue… with the exception of Harry and Eddie, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Being Scottish and military my dad was not one for emotion and the only time I ever saw him with tears in his eyes in his life was at the final whistle with Bolton and the Premier League miracle confirmed. It was his only pitch invasion too. I remembered those final whistle tears tonight as I shed mine at the same moment.

The bonds of football are immense, passed from generation to generation…the crap seasons as entertaining story wise as the great ones… because at the end of the day we don’t go to win do we, we go to be together.

Sleep well dad. Up the cherries.
 
Oh Neil, I’m so very sorry to hear your sad news and thanks for sharing more about your Dad. My thoughts are with you and your family at this time.
 
Beautiful words and sentiments Neil.
Lost my Dad 3 years ago.
Last game he saw was 5-2 v Millwall.
The generational thing is so important and valuable.
My thoughts are with you.
 
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Best wishes Neil, sorry to hear the news. Lost my dad in March. He introduced me to watching the cherries too so understand how you are feeling. I found the funeral very upsetting but, 6 months on, his absence hits me more on matchday as I can’t tell him what happened at the game. Although he was 95 and frail,he still loved to talk about how the cherries were doing.
 
Sorry to hear of your loss Neil,

“ because at the end of the day we don’t go to win do we, we go to be together.”

Never a truer word was spoken - I feel like that is sometimes temporarily forgotten with our recent relative success as we want the club to reach or surpass those peaks again. But for many of us the catalogue of memories is always there as the anchoring point and reminiscing about old players, away days and events generally at the club will always bring us “home”.
 
Yeah, tough one Neil. My dad died at 98 years old in 2016. A few months earlier we were at the golf club to do a little putting and have a dog and a drink on the patio. Even in his decline, he still had time to comment on the Blue Jays or the Montreal Canadiens. The older I get, the more I see of him in me.

For most of us our dads are why we developed our love of sports. So their legacies live on as long as each of us keep watching our favourite teams.

It'll take a while ...... especially when you pick up the phone to give him a call about something that went on that day. But you'll always have the many good memories ........ just like my signature says below.

All the best.
 
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Mr. Dawson, beautifully said, my condolences. I know you’ll mourn the loss…but cherish the memories.
 
Thinking of you Neil. My uncle was in his eighties when he passed 3 years ago and I still miss talking all things Cherries with him. Even after I emigrated, we still used to talk on the phone to discuss matches.

At the end of every call, I'd say "Up the Cherries..."

to which he always replied: "...in all departments".

In fact, those were the very last words he said to me.

RIP your dad. Cherish those memories.
 
Its so often our dads we have to thank for our support of this daft club.

All the best to you and your family Neil. Up The Cherries.
 
Very sorry to hear of your loss Neil. Your Dad was not just the head of your family but also part of the Cherries family. RIP.
 
Condolences to you and your family Neil.

My dads last game before he passed was the night that we were promoted to the Championship. One of the most optimistic Cherries fans you'd ever meet, but even he would have thought that you were mad if you told him we'd spend 5 seasons in the PL.
 
My dad went to the big stadium in the sky tonight, fittingly just as Solanke scored to put us 2-0 up. I’d been with him all day in end of life care but handed over to my sister so we could attend the match in his honour. We got the dreaded text on the half hour mark. To anyone wondering why three people were crying at the final whistle it wasn’t a huge hatred of QPR… to some people it’s an odd way to be come the end but most of you will get it 100%. A fitting brilliant game to end on that dad would have loved (and a crap Ref to whinge at just to put the icing on the cake)

Some of you know my dad as he was always with me. Our first game was Exeter at home in 1983 and I always loved the fact that his last was a win over Man Utd in 2019. He kept threatening to come back in a wheel chair but didn’t and I was glad in a way as I didn’t want his last game to be a home defeat to Preston or something as it would have ruined the story!!

Every big home game he did in that time and every big away game up until Burton Albion when he stopped travelling other than to Southampton. Player wise he loved Sean O’Driscoll, Colin Clarke, Jermaine Defoe and Eddie of course - whose debut he always referred to as a work of art. We had endless arguments about Supa Fletch who I liked but dad being of a certain generation couldn’t get his head around a forward that couldn’t move forward with a ball at his feet. Manager wise none of them had a clue… with the exception of Harry and Eddie, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Being Scottish and military my dad was not one for emotion and the only time I ever saw him with tears in his eyes in his life was at the final whistle with Bolton and the Premier League miracle confirmed. It was his only pitch invasion too. I remembered those final whistle tears tonight as I shed mine at the same moment.

The bonds of football are immense, passed from generation to generation…the crap seasons as entertaining story wise as the great ones… because at the end of the day we don’t go to win do we, we go to be together.

Sleep well dad. Up the cherries.
So sorry for your loss Neil.
 
Thoughts go out to you and your family. May his memories serve as a beacon in the dark days. My dad worked at the club with me for years in the catering and programme department and our love of the club was something that bound us together and I will always treasure those memories.
 

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