George was a larger than life character, everyone that ever came into contact with him would no doubt have some sort of amusing tale or anecdote to share, he was just that kind of person. Although he was mine and others granddad and indeed great granddad, no one ever called him that, he was always just affectionately known as “Georgie” Whenever I would speak to him it wasn’t like talking to my granddad it was like talking to my best friend, we had a special bond and maybe that was because in an odd way we were very alike. Many of his habits rubbed off on me in my younger years whether they were good or bad. The first would be gambling on the horses, George loved to have a flutter and many afternoons were spent together in various betting shops discussing the pro’s and con’s of various horses from a betting perspective. However the biggest thing we shared was the love of football, especially Southend United, George watched Southend regularly for sixty odd years and he started to take me along when I was just two years old, at around this time going to football was very much a family occasion as my dad Steve and my mum Mary would also attend as would my sister Melanie just a few short years later. All in all I guess that myself and Georgie would go on to watch Southend together for just shy of 30 years, indeed George only stopped going when he became less mobile but even then he would still sit by his radio listening to the live commentary on the team that he loved. Around 1984 George formed his own Sunday league boys team called Rettendon Athletic of which I was a part and he along with my dad managed and trained the team for around five years, I guess he would look back with a little bit of pride in how he turned a team that in its first season was getting beaten by scores normally reserved for cricket, into a side that regularly challenged at the top end of the table. Indeed it was around this time that George took me abroad for my first time when we went to Germany together on a football tour for the senior team of Rettendon Athletic. It’s obvious that George was greatly loved by many people as evidenced by the people in attendance here this morning and I know that he will indeed be greatly missed by many many people. I just want to end by saying, thank you Georgie for everything that you’ve ever done for me, I will miss you more than you could ever imagine, a massive part of my life feels like it’s been torn away from me. Not only have I lost my granddad, I’ve lost one of the best friends that anyone could ever wish to have. Rest in peace Georgie.