|
I
first met Nevil in
Malta in August 1967. We were both relatively young soldiers starting our
careers in the Royal Anglian Regiment. It was the start of a new
Battalion Football season and those good enough and fortunate enough were
assembled down on the Regimental pitch ready to start training. A lot of
the players had been around the football scene for ages and you could
easily tell this by the premiership quality training gear that was being
worn! About 10 minutes later than everyone else, this little lad with
gingerish hair came down the hill to join us. He looked ridiculous! He
was wearing army issued shorts that were almost down to his ankles, a red
PT vest, grey socks and the famous brown plimsoles that were so painfully
thin that you felt as if you were bare footed! There were more than a few
smiles and typical squaddie comments at this point !
They
say that looks are deceiving and this was no more apparent than was seen
over the next hour or so ! He proceeded to run rings round everyone!
He’d dribble round two players, nutmeg the third, and then somehow,
disappear up his own behind, before appearing again in the 6-yard box to
stick the ball in the net! On the way he’d also have a few little kicks
and niggles with anyone that came near him. In fact, for a small lad, he
could put himself about quite readily and always gave back as good as he
got.
Over
the next few years, Nevil enjoyed a lot of success on and off the
field, establishing himself in the Battalion and became what was commonly
known as a Gladiator. He represented the combined services at football,
but also excelled in the boxing ring and on the running track too.
However,
his greatest success came when we were posted to Paderborn, Germany
in December 1970.
It
has to be said at this point that Nevil was a poor trainer! He hated
training…all he wanted to do was play. We were sent on 6-mile runs
around Paderborn
in minus 10 degrees on numerous occasions and were given heavy weights or
medicine balls to accompany us! We would all leave the gym together and
run through the camp and disappear out onto the icy roads of Paderborn
with our packages! Nevil however would always detour slightly and go
past his accommodation block where he would deposit the weight onto his
bed through an open window and then start the long arduous
journey
behind us! It wasn’t long before he came flying past us all, looking
remarkably fit and fresh! On his way back through the camp, he would
conveniently retrieve his package and return to the gym looking suitably
shattered! He also enjoyed bouncing the ball of players heads and driving
shots into our wedding tackle at any unguarded moment and in those sort
of temperatures…well, there are a few people out there who will know
how much that hurts!
However,
the next 5 years saw us win the coveted Infantry cup both in
Germany
and the UK
each season and he of course played a very big part in them all. As I
have said before, he became a Battalion icon, the crowds loved him…they
watched this little man tear defenses apart with his running and
dribbling skills and naturally, he scored goals of all kinds and from all
distances. I remember him in one match going through the defense, around
the goalkeeper and then run on towards an empty net!
He then stopped and placed that ball on the goal line, bent down
and headed it over the line as half their team converged on him studs
showing! Foolish yes…crazy yes…but this was Nevil…Jimmy Jenks our
charismatic boss’ face was a picture of surprise, shock and relief!
Amazingly, he did it again later in the season, this time in a cup
match, he cocked it all up this time! He ended up inside the
net, looking at the ball
sitting on the line and then saw it hoofed half a mile away into the
trees, Jimmy and a few others were not quite so
impressed this time!
During all this time off course, he was still a soldier and a section
commander of considerable respect.
We
were sent on our first tour of duty to Belfast in April 1972 and it was
during this that Nevil showed us another side of him that will be
forever etched in our minds.
Belfast during those years was a very dark, dangerous and volatile place
to be, especially, if you were young soldiers on the ground carrying out
peace keeping duties in order to create some stability in the City. There
are a few more of you out there who were on the Falls road during early
June, 1972 when Nevil earned himself recognition far beyond the
opposition penalty areas.
Over
three days and nights of high velocity activity in the Clonard area of
the City, Nevil and his section had shot and captured a gunman whilst
under intense sniper fire, and he himself had reacted bravely under fire
to extract a young girl from the midst of a gun battle. He also found the
time to find a weapons arsenal and arrest a further terrorist suspect in
possession of ammunition. If that wasn’t enough for him, he injured his
knee quite badly, chasing down a gunman in the City, a fact that didn’t
go down too well with our boss, Jimmy Jenks…he was more concerned that
he wouldn’t be fit for our next match!
Nevil,
for his outstanding display of Courage, Leadership and Initiative was
awarded the Military Medal and we were all absolutely chuffed for him.
If
I could sum Nevil up in one word, it would be…Unpredictable!
Over the 9 Years that he served with us, I saw a little man who was a
quality footballer, loved by his comrades and supporters alike, he gave
the team that something extra and something different. He enabled us
to win a lot of matches and competitions, we’d all have doubts about
results if he wasn’t playing quite simply, he made us very dangerous
and hard to beat.
I
saw a laid back, almost horizontal, fun loving individual who never
failed to give us all a talking point the following day.
I
also saw a, courageous and professional section commander who gained
himself high esteem by his brave, unselfish and significant actions under
fire.
Nevil,
you deserve the highest and sincerest praise and on behalf of all those
that served with you in all aspects of your Military life, you will not
be forgotten.
WO2
A.J. Dent.
|
Sykes.jpg)
