Academy player dies

[Deathy]

I posted on the thread in Anything Else but will here too.

My thoughts are with the young lads family and friends. 13 is no age to die.
They'll be many football teams up in heaven fighting over you now.

RIP

[S09Royal]

I have just sent an email to the club, asking if they'd consider holding a minutes applause in honor of Stewart this Saturday.
If many more of you contact the club, requesting this, i can't see why, they wouldn't do this.

May God's mercy be upon Stewarts family and friends.
R.I.P Stewart.

[winchester_royal]

Obviously a tragic event, and all my thoughts go to his family and friends.

BUT

Is his death any more tragic than the other thousands of 13 year olds who die every year? Do they not deserve threads like this also? I can't help but feel some people on this board are going OTT.

However a minute's silence on Saturday will be more than suitable.

RIP.

[Sarah Star]

They said on radio Berkshire this morning that the club were talking to the parents about how they wanted to remember Stewart. It sounds like the club are doing all they can to support them at this sad time.

[Wycombe Royal]

BUT

Is his death any more tragic than the other thousands of 13 year olds who die every year? Do they not deserve threads like this also? I can't help but feel some people on this board are going OTT.

However a minute's silence on Saturday will be more than suitable.

RIP.

Maybe they do get threads on a forum where the discussion of it is appropriate. Stewart was a member of the RFC academy hence why there is a discussion on here.

RIP Stewart.

[Deathy]

I have just sent an email to the club, asking if they'd consider holding a minutes applause in honor of Stewart this Saturday.
If many more of you contact the club, requesting this, i can't see why, they wouldn't do this.

May God's mercy be upon Stewarts family and friends.
R.I.P Stewart.

Minutes applause are nonsense. Silence is more respectful and more fitting here.

[winchester_royal]

I have just sent an email to the club, asking if they'd consider holding a minutes applause in honor of Stewart this Saturday.
If many more of you contact the club, requesting this, i can't see why, they wouldn't do this.

May God's mercy be upon Stewarts family and friends.
R.I.P Stewart.

Minutes applause are nonsense. Silence is more respectful.

'Greed. Applause are for when a footballing great has died expectedly. Silence should be reserved for tragic events like this.

[Row Z Royal]

Sad occasion and my thoughts go to his friends, family and teachers - especially those who were with him at the time - as well as the centre staff.

Having been on the Maiden Erlegh Year 9 rugby tour (which was the second time I'd been to Tirabad) I hope that this doesn't lead to the closure of the centre. It's a great opportunity for kids in this part of the world to experience outdoorsy stuff that they're not necessarily exposed to here.

All the best to all of those concerned. A minute's silence this weekend please.

[Sun Tzu]

Is his death any more tragic than the other thousands of 13 year olds who die every year? Do they not deserve threads like this also? I can't help but feel some people on this board are going OTT.
.

A moment's thought before posting would have been a good idea....

Of course his death is no more or less tragic, but he was known to some on here, was a Royals fan and a member of our youth academy.

There were hundreds of football matches played on Saturday yet for a very good reason only one was discussed on this forum. See the pattern ?

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Tragic News

RIP

[Casino_Royal]

Is his death any more tragic than the other thousands of 13 year olds who die every year? Do they not deserve threads like this also? I can't help but feel some people on this board are going OTT.
.

A moment's thought before posting would have been a good idea....

Of course his death is no more or less tragic, but he was known to some on here, was a Royals fan and a member of our youth academy.

There were hundreds of football matches played on Saturday yet for a very good reason only one was discussed on this forum. See the pattern ?

Well said Sun Tzu.

Eamonn's tribute to Stewart
Posted on: Mon 17 Nov 2008
Saturday 15th November 2008 seemed to be another excellent day for Reading FC.

At tea-time, upon hearing the news from Bramall Lane of a 2-0 win for our first team, we all anticipated enjoying the rest of the weekend. Shortly afterwards, as I drove home from Twerton Park after watching Alex McCarthy play for Team Bath, I received the shattering news about Stewart. The brutal nature of the information was too much and too severe for the Academy at Reading to take in.

Stewart had trained at one of our development centres for many months. We use our development centres to monitor boys that are showing potential, and if the potential is realised, then the young player will be invited to sign on as a schoolboy within the Academy.

It was late August 2008 when the potential of Stewart was deliberated within an Academy staff meeting. I remember the meeting vividly as we debated whether to sign or not sign Stewart into the Academy. These meetings are always opinionated and sometimes memorable, and this one was memorable for the fact that some staff members were unusually strong in their declaration that the previously 'borderline' young goalkeeper should be signed.

The relentless nature of the business of football too often presses you into making the 'right' decision, even if that decision spells huge disappointment for the young player on the wrong end. At the end of the meeting we made the 'right' decision to sign Stewart into our Academy.

I am really glad we made that decision because it was obvious from his first day as a signed boy that he was going to grasp this opportunity with the same spirit and verve that seemingly epitomised every aspect of his life.

Only last week when we were reviewing individual players' development, it was noted that Stewart was making excellent progress and that he was developing into a fine young goalkeeper.

Stewart was so excited to sign for Reading because his family are also season ticket holders at Madejski Stadium. I also believe that Stewart has one of Marcus Hahnemann's shirts at home that was thrown to him during one of Marcus's post match laps of honour. Stewart displayed a wonderful pride, dedication and dignity every time he played for his club, Reading FC.

As an Academy Manager you come across a lot of boys, a lot of players and a lot of parents. Whenever I watched Stewart play, the memory of that meeting about whether to sign him was always in the back of my mind. Why were some staff members so keen to sign him? He relentlessly answered that query every time he pulled on the shirt. He was always a credit to himself, his family and to Reading Football Club.

On a personal note, my brief interaction with Stewart's family helped me understand why Stewart exuded special human characteristics allied to his undoubted football ability. His mum would beam with pride as she watched training. It was a wonderful combination.

At times like this words seem so feeble, in fact they probably are, but they are all we have to express our appreciation of Stewart's contribution to the Reading FC football family. From the Chairman and Nigel Howe to Steve Coppell and Nick Hammond and all the other Academy and Reading Football Club staff, we together would like to express our sincere condolences to Stewart's family and friends. You are in our thoughts and in our prayers.

Stewart whatever we were to each other, that we still are.

Eamonn Dolan
Academy Manager
Reading FC

One of our own.

Rest In Peace young Stewart.

[shaka's shorts]

This is a tragic loss. I am a parent of a 12 year old son and I am a former ME pupil that had some great times at Tirabad, so this has really hit home. My thoughts are with his parents, friends and teachers. I think a minute's silence and dedication of the no 13 shirt for the season would be very appropriate and then get the players to warm up in no. 13 shirts on saturday.

RIP Stewart

[Royal Rother]

Blimey - Eamonn Dolan's piece has just wiped me out.

RIP.

[Barry the bird boggler]

So sad, just so very sad. Eamonn Dolan's words are so appropriate.

RIP

[3 veesinarow]

I feel absolutely gutted by this terrible news. My boy had two very happy & fulfilling trips to Tirabad in very recent years and is still now only 16, so I can't begin to imagine what his parents must be feeling, but the emotion that is welling up inside me is difficult to contain.
There should, of course, be a tribute paid on Saturday, but I am not sure the ideas based around the no.13 are the right way to go. Stewart was 13 years old and the sight of a 50' tall flag and all the players wearing that number may be too much. By all means, dedicate and/or retire a number, but surely a visual representation of his age at the time of his death would be insufferable to his family?

Eamonn Dolan's tribute is one of the most poignant, heart-rending and articulate I have ever read...and I hope I never have to read anything like it again.

My thoughts are with Stewart, his parents, family, and all his friends/fellow footballers.

[rabidbee]

naming a stand after him could be a possibility but maybe a bit too much to ask

Rename one of the roads around the stadium?

[S09Royal]

I have just sent an email to the club, asking if they'd consider holding a minutes applause in honor of Stewart this Saturday.
If many more of you contact the club, requesting this, i can't see why, they wouldn't do this.

May God's mercy be upon Stewarts family and friends.
R.I.P Stewart.

Minutes applause are nonsense. Silence is more respectful.

'Greed. Applause are for when a footballing great has died expectedly. Silence should be reserved for tragic events like this.

'greed too. i wasn't quite sure which one should be used, but now i know. Club have sent an email back saying,

"Thanks for your email and your suggestion. We will certainly be paying tribute to Stewart on Saturday, and we will consult with his family before deciding what form that tribute will take."

[Jackson Corner]

I too went to M.E. and Tirabed. But I was never good enough to sign for the my beloved football club. Stewart in his all to short life achieved something we ordinary fans could only dream of. R.I.P.

[RoyalBlue]

As a father of two kids, both goalkeepers, the younger of whom is not much different in age to Stewart, I just can not begin to imagine the grief and pain that Stewart's parents, family and friends must currently be enduring. My thoughts and prayers go out to them.

Such a tragedy is every parent's worst nightmare and brings home just how precious every moment spent with your kids is.

I hope that whatever tribute the club and supporters decide to arrange for Stewart helps bring comfort to his parents and reinforces the tremendous pride that they justifiably have in their son and his achievements.

As for the possible reaction from the Southampton supporters, it is events like this that bring together the footballing family and transcend all club loyalties. I am sure they too will do everything to ensure a fitting tribute to Stewart on Saturday.

[Thomas L'Heureux]

Beautiful words from Dolan.

R.I.P Stewart.