the man who seemed to be our biggest fan travelling from stoke for each game passed away last friday after a long illness
truly a red who amazed me by his commitment...may he rest in peace
I heard this news with great sadness this morning. Those of you who frequented the old forum will have known Mark as the Sligokid. His dedication to Sligo Rovers is legendary. A kinder more gentler person you would never meet. The Showgrounds will be a poorer place this season without him.
God bless you Mark, it was a pleasure to have met you.
Jim
He truly was a real fan. Altough I did'nt know him, may he rest in peace.
Life without Rovers, it makes no sense...it's a heartache...nothing but a fools game. S.R.F.C.
Down through the years Rovers have been blessed with loyal supporters, Mark has to be up there with the best of them. Indeed the Showgrounds will be a poorer place with the absence of this very dedicated person, loyal to the very end. When one thinks that the area is awash with individuals who will claim to be good supporters of the bit o red yet wouldn't cross the road to watch them play, here was a man that travelled thousands of miles each season to watch his beloved club. Lets hope the club think of something to honour this man's name.
+ May he rest in peace
'Don't dream - to dream is to be disappointed'
Originally Posted by Petmuller
here here
From the Sligo Champion(read the last two paragraphs, what a fan he was):
SLIGO Rovers football club lost one of its most dedicated supporters following the death in England of Mark Brindley, whose remarkable and life-long affinity to the ‘Bit O’Red’ brought him from his home in Stoke-on-Trent to the majority of matches at the Showgrounds.
Mark passed away towards the end of last week. He had been ill for some time and was in his late 40’s.
His was a quite remarkable story of loyalty to his beloved Rovers.
Mark would give one of his familiar wry smiles as he watched the thousands of Irish soccer fans converge on Holyhead ferry port at weekends to make their way to support their favourite Premiership and Nationwide teams....as he journeyed in the opposite direction to Sligo.
He usually left Stoke on a train for Crew on a Friday night. He then spent a number of hours in a local hotel, waiting to catch another train service to Holyhead, reaching the port at 2.00am. He travelled on the Dublin ferry at 3.00am and arrived the Irish capital four hours later, before he caught the morning train to Sligo.
Following a Saturday night fixture at the Showgrounds, Mark’s homeward trip usually commenced at Sligo railway station on Sunday afternoon and it was not until 6.30am the following morning that he would turn the key of his front door in Stoke, before preparing for work at the National Health Service.
In more recent times, when illness prevented him using the ferry, Mark showed his unflinching support for Rovers by boarding a plane for the first time ever to fly into Dublin and on to Sligo !
He had become a familiar and popular figure around town, enjoying the banter about Rovers over a few post match pints of his favourite Guinness in Donaghy’s, The Southern Hotel and The Ark Bar, his quiet, unassuming nature bringing him into our lives as a true friend.
“Sligo Rovers are my team and always have been. No matter how bad they are, I enjoy coming to see them,” Mark told me in an interview in January, 2003.
“Of course people think I am mad, but I have been supporting Rovers for forty odd years,” he added at the time.
Mark was first brought to the Showgrounds when he was a young boy by friends from the Bellaghy and Charlestown area and it was a love affair that was to continue up to the time of his death.
His English-born dad left Sligo more than thirty years ago to take up employment and Mark initially kept in touch with Rovers from across the channel.
However, he gradually began to make the odd long-distance treck to the Showgrounds as a season ticket holder and was a regular attender ever since.
He was very proud to receive a number of special presentations from both the club and local supporters and these took pride of place in his home.
Despite his illness, Mark remained in constant contact as the build-up to the new First Division campaign gathered momentum.
I last spoke to him at lunchtime on Thursday, when an enquiry as to how he he was feeling was quickly deflected and brought an alternative question as to how Rovers had done in a friendly against Coleraine the previous night.
When told they had drawn two-two, Mark replied in his inimitable way of sometimes stating things a second time.....”We could do alright this season, mate...we could do alright.”
Life without Rovers, it makes no sense...it's a heartache...nothing but a fools game. S.R.F.C.
Attended Mark's funeral today and I must say I was proud to be a Sligo Rovers supporter after the send off the club gave this remarkable man.
The chairman and team manager led the guard of honour with the herse flanked both sides with tracksuit decked players. A wonderful sight to behold and a great tribute to probably the best supporter this club has ever know.
Just like to say well done to everyone associated with the club, I don't think today lacked anything as reguards effort. I'm sure Mark as he looked down from above is very proud of the club he's left behind and should there be anything he can do from above we can be assured he'll do it.
God bless you Mark, you are certainly one in a million.
'Don't dream - to dream is to be disappointed'
looking back now i had often taught to myself how mad could u get ,to come all the way from stoke to see bad games one after another in the showgrounds.
Mark was one of a very few...a true supporter
I would complain about going out on a bad night, and then to see a crap game...what must have mark taught at 9.30 pm, at least i was home in half an hour.
excuse my grammer...but its only now that his death is sinking in.
i hope we get promotion..in the year of his death, it would be a fitting tribute to a decent guy.
Well said roversfan, I totally agree with you.
But knowing Mark he just didn't take the bad and dwell too long on it, he always looked to the next game and like the rest of us hoped that there would be an improvement. Sadly there never was in Mark's last couple of seasons, yet as the last paragraph in the champion article reads; "We could do alright this season, mate...we could do alright.”
and you know what, we all hope he's right.
'Don't dream - to dream is to be disappointed'
May God Bless him...RIP.
Every club needs a Mark Brindley, and even though I obviously never met him, I would like to pass on sincere condolences from all at Limerick FC.
May he enjoy watching us from above.
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