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Post by jezzascfc on Jan 6, 2011 14:55:49 GMT
OMG! I can't believe it! He mailed me on Xmas eve with this... Hi Mick Quick update - high strength chemo and stem cells put back in last week in Birmingham - now in isolation for three weeks in Shrewsbury Hospital due to white cells shot at - still very much upbeat both physically and mentally - that despite the loss at home to Blackpool :-) Still main reason for email was to wish you, Tony and family a really happy christmas and all the very best for 2011 - see you in D's for a beer at sometime. I'm utterly, utterly devastated, because Big Ade was one of life's gentlemen; the original gentle giant; a wonderful handshake; never bombastic; always a ready, genuine smile; and truly one of the loveliest men, if not the loveliest and friendliest person I have ever met in my life. God, me and Tone will miss him! He was always part of our matchday experience, and even when we'd lost, that big grin on his face would always ease the pain of losing. Ade, Rest in Peace, my lovely, lovely friend. OS is shedding tears at losing you, and I know Tone will be beyond devastated. Milkie, thank you for informing us. I'd be obliged if you would PM me with the details of Ade's funeral. Thank you. OS. Well said Mick. As an exile, I didn't see Ade as much as you, but every time I came back to Stoke games, he greeted me in Ds like a lifelong friend - as you say, a nicer bloke you couldn't ever wish to meet. Very sad news indeed.
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Post by Malcolm Clarke on Jan 6, 2011 15:05:01 GMT
What sad news, and so unexpected, as only the other day Lakeland was telling me how positive Ade is, and when he hoped to back at matches. I enjoyed chatting with him after the game in D's, not least because he always had such a balanced view of Stoke City and the world in general. RIP
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Post by Milkie on Jan 6, 2011 17:03:11 GMT
OS, Fornside you have mail, details of the address for cards, full funeral details to follow
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Post by KDT_SCFC on Jan 6, 2011 17:34:43 GMT
RIP Fellow Stokie God Bless
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Post by OldStokie on Jan 6, 2011 20:48:27 GMT
Thanks, Milkie. Have PM'd you. Paul (TWM) Big Ade sat on about row 30, block 21. Almost by the aisle between block 21 and 22. If you sat in that area, you couldn't miss him, not only because of his size, but because of his 'war cry' of "Get rid of the bloody ball, Clarkey!" It was a standing joke that he blamed everything on Clarkey, and even when Clarkey wasn't playing, me and Tone would give him some stick and say it was Clarkey's fault. We would get one of his famous Tommy Cooper laughs, and a grin that said he was related to the Cheshire Cat. Me and Tony will be representing the Boothen End when we go to his funeral. Ade was a devout Stoke supporter, travelling, with his lovely dog, from Cornwall or Shrewsbury to get to every home game, and he was a proper Boothen Ender. I was so upset in my original post that I forgot to offer my deepest and sincere condolences to all his family and friends. OS.
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Post by jezzascfc on Jan 6, 2011 21:00:56 GMT
Just told Nic too, who was gobsmacked and sends her condolences to Ade's family.
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Post by costkickaboagenawo on Jan 6, 2011 21:59:44 GMT
I didn't know you Ade, but as a fellow Serviceman & Stokie...Sir, I salute you!
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Post by winger on Jan 6, 2011 23:02:59 GMT
Dear me, what can you say; RIP Big Man, I didn't know him so well but he struck me as exactly as Old Stokie describes him, a Stokie and a Gent
Condolences to all concerned, winger x
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Post by StokieSC on Jan 6, 2011 23:06:52 GMT
Spoke to Ade quite a few times back in the day when I drank in Delilahs on matchday. Always seemed a nice bloke.
RIP mate.
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Post by JoeinOz on Jan 7, 2011 0:21:17 GMT
RIP Ade. A fellow Stokie and good bloke.
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Post by greyman on Jan 7, 2011 6:14:51 GMT
Met him several times and he always came across as the nicest bloke. I hadn't realised he was ill. RIP Ade
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Post by NorwichStokie on Jan 7, 2011 13:01:31 GMT
I'd not spoken to Big Ade for ages. I didn't know he was in such a bad way. He really was a true gentleman; never extreme in his view, always listened to other people's argument and a pleasure to be around. R.I.P. Ade.
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Post by Milkie on Jan 7, 2011 17:23:34 GMT
New message for OS and Forny!!
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Jan 7, 2011 17:46:15 GMT
Got it Milkie!
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Jan 7, 2011 19:54:03 GMT
I have just had an email from Andrea who is Ade's eldest daughter. She and the family have read this thread but have been unable to register and post on it. Anyway at the end of her email she asked me to post these words on this thread....
"We were told that there was a thread about Dad on the Oatcake Forum through a friend of ours. We are overwhelmed by the messages that have been posted here and they have been a great source of comfort over the last couple of days. Thank-you. You all know Dad loved Stoke. I'm sure the Brit has been a quieter place without him".
Andrea
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Post by Mr_DaftBurger on Jan 7, 2011 20:47:38 GMT
RIP Crabhat from an ex Crabhat!
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Post by Milkie on Jan 7, 2011 23:25:40 GMT
Thoughts are with the girls at this moment Forny,
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Post by Anto1962 on Jan 8, 2011 0:29:12 GMT
RIP BIG ADE sorry to hear this and our thoughts go to your family and friends at this sad time, Ant,Deb& Samuel xxx
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Post by Dallas Cowboy on Jan 21, 2011 1:58:33 GMT
Not being a regular visitor as I once used to be, I only found out about Big Ade's death today. An e-mail from Old Stokie containing this sad news had ended up in my spam folder.
Like so many of the people who post regularly on here, I only know them by their Oatcake personas. With Big Ade, his persona was one that I warmed to, as did so many other people. His posts always contained thoughtful and considered comments, frequently accompanied by a touch of humour.
A sad loss to all who knew him or, like me, knew of him.
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Post by OldStokie on Jan 21, 2011 7:32:03 GMT
The funeral is today, at Shawbury Church. Apparently, the church will be full and they're having to place speakers outside for those who cannot get in. I'll be there, along with our kid. In my Stoke Coat. As Ade would want me to. A sad day.
OS.
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Post by OldStokie on Jan 21, 2011 7:36:46 GMT
Towkrate doesn't have an account on here, so he's asked me to leave his condolences to family and friends. He remembers Big Ade from the old Rivals board, and is saddened at his loss because he was always such a nice guy and a level headed poster, as well as having a great sense of humour.
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Jan 21, 2011 7:48:19 GMT
See you there OS. Pretty much the same journey for me as it is to a Stoke home match - but not with the same happy sense of anticipation. Milkie (and any others on this board who are going) please introduce yourselves. If you see someone young, tall and good looking - that is the opposite of what I am.
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Post by Milkie on Jan 21, 2011 8:11:49 GMT
Will do.forty see you. There milkie
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Jan 21, 2011 20:27:18 GMT
Milkie, thanks for your part in organising the day and sorry I missed seeing you after we went into the Mess - I may have been in a state of shock at the cheap prices at the bar.
Funerals are sad occasions but today's was a good one. I think Ade would have enjoyed it. As luck would have it I walked from the base to the church with a WAF who had travelled much further than me to be there. She spoke so warmly about him as did everyone I spoke to.
How often do you get Delilah played during a service?!!!! With stern warnings from the lecturn to the Stokies in the congregation NOT to join in with our special version!
How often do you get to wear a Stoke scarf in a church? I expect some of the posters on here have done it dozens of times but it was a first for me.
And what a Church it was - a beautiful old building with its own version of the John Smith's Upper Tier where Old Stokie and Tony Norcop mingled with the RAF Top Brass.
Nice to put some faces to the names of Ade's family as well - I'm sure he was as proud of them as they are of him.
Good to see Rudgie there! He gets some stick on here but it was nice to see him representing the club.
Bye Ade - now let's concentrate on getting three points tomorrow!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNN STOKE!
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Post by knype on Jan 21, 2011 20:29:51 GMT
Milkie, thanks for your part in organising the day and sorry I missed seeing you after we went into the Mess - I may have been in a state of shock at the cheap prices at the bar. Funerals are sad occasions but today's was a good one. I think Ade would have enjoyed it. As luck would have it I walked from the base to the church with a WAF who had travelled much further than me to be there. She spoke so warmly about him as did everyone I spoke to. How often do you get Delilah played during a service?!!!! With stern warnings from the lecturn to the Stokies in the congregation NOT to join in with our special version! How often do you get to wear a Stoke scarf in a church? I expect some of the posters on here have done it dozens of times but it was a first for me. And what a Church it was - a beautiful old building with its own version of the John Smith's Upper Tier where Old Stokie and Tony Norcop mingled with the RAF Top Brass. Nice to put some faces to the names of Ade's family as well - I'm sure he was as proud of them as they are of him. Nice to see Rudgie there as well. He gets some stick on here but it was nice to see him representing the club. Bye Ade - now let's concentrate on getting three points tomorrow! GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNN STOKE! Never knew him apart from his posts on the old board! Another Stokie cruelly taken away from his own family and his Stokie family, RIP Big Ade, seems like you got a send off that you deserved.....Life is shit at times.
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Post by soulstoke59 on Jan 21, 2011 20:36:19 GMT
r.i.p. fellow stokie
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Post by spiderpuss on Jan 21, 2011 20:38:45 GMT
Sad news. RIP Ade.
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Post by OldStokie on Jan 21, 2011 21:02:27 GMT
It was a beautiful service, and the Brylcream Boys did him proud with the Guard of Honour, as they did with the carrying of the coffin. The most moving part to me was hearing his baby granddaughter (his first grandchild) chattering away. Fortunately, Big Ade was able to see her while he was undergoing treatment, before he went into isolation, where he died. Well done John Rudge for representing Stoke City at the funeral. That was a lovely touch, and Big Ade would have liked that. Also, I was moved at the genuine loss the young RAF personel felt. To them, he was their 'Mr C.', and their recollections of his steadying influence on their lives was nice. But that's what Big Ade was: the steadying vioce of reason, except when Clarkey was playing, or we had a bad ref. Then, he just lost it. Thanks to Milkie for generating this thread, and for keeping us informed. I will relate Milkie's anecdote how he first met Big Ade. "Ade was one of my instructors on the Air Traffic Course and as is tradition at CATCS on your first day you have a meet and greet in the instructors crew room. As part of the initiation, you had to stand on a table and give a dit about yourself, which always ended with you getting bantered mercilessly and drinking a yard of ale. Needless to say, by expressing that the main reason I was happy to be at Shawbury was because I could see more of Stoke, I was howled out by almost everyone in the room. As the noise died down, this booming voice from the back cried out "You're a Stokie, so you've passed!", and a friendship of twenty years was born. LOL. That was Big Ade. He loved his/our football club with a passion. Milkie, like me and everyone else who came into contact with Ade, were the lucky ones. He was that kind of guy. So, Ade, Rest in Peace, Big Man. It was an honour to call you 'Friend'. OS.
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Post by Milkie on Jan 21, 2011 22:38:11 GMT
John, Mick and Tony it was a pleasure to stand beside you today and say goodbye to our friend Ade. The boys did him proud and I was so pleased to see John Rudge there, Ade would have been delighted by that. John I have to confess I was slightly overwhelmed in the mess and felt the need to get back to my family and say goodbye in our way, it was a hell of a drive on a Friday night!!. I will of course be at the next home game and whileno one can replace the big man I will come around to deliliahs to share a pint with you and a few more stories with you. All the best Milkie
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Post by NG4POTTERS on Jan 21, 2011 22:49:15 GMT
It was a beautiful service, and the Brylcream Boys did him proud with the Guard of Honour, as they did with the carrying of the coffin. The most moving part to me was hearing his baby granddaughter (his first grandchild) chattering away. Fortunately, Big Ade was able to see her while he was undergoing treatment, before he went into isolation, where he died. Well done John Rudge for representing Stoke City at the funeral. That was a lovely touch, and Big Ade would have liked that. Also, I was moved at the genuine loss the young RAF personel felt. To them, he was their 'Mr C.', and their recollections of his steadying influence on their lives was nice. But that's what Big Ade was: the steadying vioce of reason, except when Clarkey was playing, or we had a bad ref. Then, he just lost it. Thanks to Milkie for generating this thread, and for keeping us informed. I will relate Milkie's anecdote how he first met Big Ade. "Ade was one of my instructors on the Air Traffic Course and as is tradition at CATCS on your first day you have a meet and greet in the instructors crew room. As part of the initiation, you had to stand on a table and give a dit about yourself, which always ended with you getting bantered mercilessly and drinking a yard of ale. Needless to say, by expressing that the main reason I was happy to be at Shawbury was because I could see more of Stoke, I was howled out by almost everyone in the room. As the noise died down, this booming voice from the back cried out "You're a Stokie, so you've passed!", and a friendship of twenty years was born. LOL. That was Big Ade. He loved his/our football club with a passion. Milkie, like me and everyone else who came into contact with Ade, were the lucky ones. He was that kind of guy. So, Ade, Rest in Peace, Big Man. It was an honour to call you 'Friend'. OS. Fair play OS, lovely post fella. RIP ade.
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