They fought as Bristol football hooligans - now one is helping the other face death. please log in to view this image Mark Saunders, right, with Dave Jeal  THEY were once football hooligans and sworn enemies, but lifelong Bristol City fan Mark Saunders and Rovers' chaplain Dave Jeal are now best friends. Although the pair hated each other during their youth – and regularly used to fight and brawl all over Bristol – they chose to put their history behind them when they met in hospital. It resulted in a friendship that has seen Mr Saunders – who has just weeks, possibly days, left to live – find God, and be baptised by a man he used to hate. Mr Saunders, now 54, was being treated for a tumour seven years ago when he met Mr Jeal, now 47, who was in hospital visiting his teenage son, who had hurt his back. The two recognised each other from their younger days when they used to terrorise the terraces in the name of city's two teams. Mr Saunders, who lives in Bishopsworth, says he had risen up a hierarchy of City hooligans and was leading up to 1,000 people into fights every week. Meanwhile Mr Jeal was a member of the Young Executives, a violent Bristol Rovers "firm" of hooligans, and would end up being banned from the club for ten years. When the pair met in hospital Mr Jeal had already turned his life around – he had found God and was working in his dream job as Bristol Rovers chaplain. Mr Saunders had also given up the violence of his younger days and was fighting a tumour in his side, experiencing "excruciating pain". Mr Saunders told the Bristol Post: "When I saw Dave I thought 'oh no', because I knew him from my younger days when we were sworn enemies. But I was in so much pain – absolutely excruciating pain – that for once I didn't think about football. "We got talking and put all that aside, it just didn't seem to matter anymore." Mr Jeal, who lives above the church he now runs, St James' in Lockleaze, said: "Although we supported different clubs, we were both from similar backgrounds. We were both estate boys – Mark grew up in Knowle West and Totterdown and I was in Southmead. "In the days of the 80s and 90s, football violence was in its heyday. I remember going to my first match in 1986, which was Rovers v Bolton away. "There was a pitch invasion and I remember the excitement I felt – that's when it all began." Mr Saunders remembers going to his first City match as a 14-year-old and becoming hooked on the game straight away. "As a teenager and young man I was keen to prove myself – I was an estate boy and that's what you did to get noticed," he said. "I rose up the hierarchy and began leading 700 to 1,000 people into fights every weekend." The pair vividly remember the fierce rivalry between Bristol's two sides that regularly saw them clash. "We hated each other with a passion," said Mr Saunders. "We would be fighting up Gloucester Road and Broadmead, everywhere really." The pair had always known each other's names but had never actually had a proper conversation until they met in hospital. "We realised that actually, we got on really well," said Mr Jeal. "I'd put my past behind me a long time ago and seeing Mark in so much pain was awful. I wanted to do all I could to comfort him, whether he was a City fan or not – football went out the window." The pair formed a close bond that saw them become great friends. In May last year Mr Saunders was diagnosed with lung cancer and given six to eight months to live. He turned to Mr Jeal for help and advice, and ironically it was just before their two teams came face to face again that he felt something change. "It was before the most recent Bristol derby in September when Dave was praying with me that I felt this warm feeling come across me," he said. "I had something missing in my life. "I'm not one for making things up or believing in things but I felt this warmth. It was similar to the feeling I'd felt when I met my wife Wendy 31 years ago. I knew then that it was to let me know the Lord had arrived." Mr Saunders had found God and began regularly praying with Mr Jeal. He was recently told the cancer had spread to his brain and was given between three and 12 weeks to live. Two weeks ago he visited Woodlands Church in Clifton where Mr Jeal baptised him. "Dave has been there fully for me and my family," he said. "I'm now not afraid of dying one bit." Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/fought...tory-20790897-detail/story.html#ixzz2veLIsemz As has often been said, " There is more to life than just football". This proves it, I'll buy that "gashead" a pint any time, he's a true blue gent, good luck to both men and a real special City thought for Mark.
I lost my mother last year to cancer,4 months of pure hell were the final months. Football is irrelavent when these things happen.
i thought this was a fantastic story. i heard last week about his pre match talk to the city players and he was at the rovers game last saturday. i watched the late kick off show last night which gave good coverage of him and his story. he said he received a great reception at the mem and not 1 bad word was said to him - which i think is fantastic as you usually get at least 1 idiot. football is indeed irrelavent when these things happen but football is his life and i hope he gets to see another game and 3 points for you.
I wish Mr Saunders a peaceful remainder to his life. But I am upset to see the way that a very violent past seems to have been made to appear "OK". People like Messrs Saunders and Jeal, caused a great deal of distress to all the law abiding and peaceful football fraternity just "because they were estate kids and wanted to prove themselves". That was not and is still not acceptable to me and those "estate kids" who did not behave in that way, yet got tarnished with the same brush!
I said in another thread that I know Divvy and that our lives had gone through different paths. If people met Divvy they would quickly realise they were talking to a humorous and mild mannered bloke. People on this forum reguarly are more disrepectful to others than I have ever seen Divvy be to anybody else in twenty years. I obviously was not one of his right hand men, but he was and never has been a thuggish bully. At his peak decades ago he could galvanise hudreds upon hundreds of City fans together of a certain ilk. These people were not cowards or bullies, but those from different walks of life from soldiers to Gp's. Both those mentioned professions were part of Divvys followers. This was managed not because he was mad, bad or dangerous but because people respected him. I find the way he has conducted himself, and contiues to be more than ok. I hope his last weeks or months teach myself a few things as well ... Go down fighting.
