I apologise for starting another new thread but I think that people will want to read this and fear it will get lost if I add it to one of the existing threads. Yesterday afternoon I had a long chat with Deon and Pat. Iâve now got even more respect for David; his wholehearted, possibly even gleeful, confrontation with establishment, accepted practice and life itself was a recurring theme throughout both conversations. Their love for and pride in the man we knew as Brix shone through every single story whether it was about his unyielding stance against racism, his battles to be accepted in a mainly black environment or his help for those less fortunate than himself. Davidâs insistence on only looking forwards and natural reluctance to discuss himself meant that we found out virtually nothing about the hardships he suffered, the adversity he battled through and misfortune he accepted without complaint until after his sad passing. Those around him had to live up to the high standard he demanded from himself. Strangely enough Deon told me the same story about his Dad ripping up his homework if it wasnât up to standard forcing him to do it again just as Pat had done last Sunday when we were walking to the ground. Clearly this approach was successful, weâve all been impressed by Deonâs magnificent âBrixton R - A Family Tribute - BIG BIG THANKSâ post. Listening to Patâs description of David as a strong, handsome, dynamic, young man made me realise that when the two of them teamed up to fight for a cause they must have made an incredibly formidable team. She shares Davidâs innate understanding of right from wrong and his desire to improve everything that he touches; qualities that Deon has inherited along with Davidâs breathtaking work ethic. One other reoccurring theme throughout our conversations was that they were a proper family, they discussed everything from challenges at work to the day to day happenings on our forum. Years of overworking, coupled with his disregard for medical practitioners, started to take their toll on him; a process accelerated by his refusal to ever ease up. David started to withdraw from his social life and started to take refuge in the virtual world which is when he stumbled across initially the BBC 606 forum and then swapped over onto our Not606 forum. It would be an exaggeration to say this gave him a new lease of life, but it certainly gave him a new purpose. Both reiterated the pleasure David got from this forum; whether it was from discussing QPR matters, considering off topic issues or organising and structuring the forum behind the scenes. Both Pat and Deon wanted to thank us for contributing to that, emphasising that there were absolutely no exceptions, he enjoyed interacting with every single one of us. They are genuinely as grateful to us as we are to them. I reaffirmed our love and respect for their man, but it hardly needed saying, they are both so touched by the tributes and comments that have been made on this forum and are thrilled by the donations being made to Barnados in BrixtonRâs name. They both sounded strong and determined. The heart attack that took David from them has depleted their numbers, but not their resolve. There are still wrongs to be righted, the Beck family will still be doing more than their share. Two final personal thoughts from me, if I ever start bemoaning my lot, would someone please, gently but firmly, remind me that I was lucky enough to celebrate Cisseâs goal in our fantastic win against Stoke last season with the legend that is BrixtonR, and secondly if the BrixtonR we knew was a slowing down version, just imagine how impressive he must have been at the peak of his powers.
The more we hear the more we realise just what we've lost. We really must make sure we raise a glass to Brix and , hopefully, they could be there on the day to see how much he meant to us all...
We need a storming turnout at the pub And we need to make sure that they are at the match, in seats next to you Roller to enjoy the game (I hope, but with this shower...we might not be able to guarantee that) There are a few other things we could do....something in the program, something on the board...or an annoucement ...a banner they could see. Happy to help sort bits of that out Roller
Nice one roller. Well done for plucking up the courage to call. I'm sure that for Pat and Deon, reading everything that's been written on here must be heartwarming and make them proud.
It was actually Deon who set the pace here. He is clearly made of tougher stuff than me. Thanks Beth. I will be looking for all the help I can get, but it is important that everyone who feels the urge is able to contribute to the day in some way. Hopefully we can come up with an idea that allows all the Overseas Hoops to feel part of the day.
if there is anyway I can be involved then please..i want in! Was kind of thinking about us Aussie boys having a get together in his honour somewhere. Was gonna arrange flowers but family would prefer quiet ceremony..respect that rest assured, the aussie contingent will do something on David's behalf.!
I know I am telling my grandmother how to suck eggs here Roller...can you/will you be writing something on your blog about Brix...I am sure it is too raw at the moment, but in the future???
I wasn't planning to as here is the only proper home for any thoughts and reminisces about David. I guess it could make any final piece easier to find, but I'd want to do more than just re-hash my previous thoughts. I owe him far more than that.
