The Perfect Send-Off

No-one attending Dave Bryant’s funeral on Thursday can fail to have been moved by the sheer outpouring of love and affection for the man who was, quite simply, “Mr Enfield Town.”

The fact that there was standing room only at Enfield Crematorium, with everyone and everything bedecked in blue and white,  said everything about Dave’s popularity — not only among those connected with the club but also his former colleagues at Unison and, most of all, his family and friends.

Whilst an incredibly sad and emotional occasion, the service covering Dave’s remarkable life was full of heart-warming tributes about how he always had time for everyone as well as several humour-tinged anecdotes about his obsession not only with ETFC but also his other great passion, fishing.

Dave, as we all know, was a pioneer of non-league clubs and without his vision and determination, there would be no Enfield Town FC.

Before the service, the hearse went on a lap of honour around the pitch at the Dave Bryant stadium watched by close family and friends, a fitting tribute to our founding chairman.

The final address at the ceremony itself was made by Dave’s great friend, current ETFC vice-chairman Paul Millington, who described him as “simply the nicest guy I’ve known” as he recalled Dave’s relentless “positivity towards everything in life”,   sense of fair play and the “fantastic legacy” he left by creating the country’s first fan-owned club.

After the service, a celebration of Dave’s life was continued at Butler’s Bar, where glasses were raised aplenty in memory of the great man and his unique contribution in so many ways.

RIP Dave

AW