RIP Bill Lyons (@Bill, previously @de niro) update re funeral pg 51/JustGiving link p52

Ric said:
A random but endearing memory I have of Bill, but one typical of the man, is from one of the early European away days. Can’t remember where or when exactly, but it was somewhere cold.

Anyway, they had a big outdoor ice rink at a Christmas market that we’d been drinking at. After a few beers, Bill winked at me and donned a pair of ice skates. He clumsily entered the rink and proceeded to deck it a couple of times. I’ll be honest, I feared the worst for him and thought he’d lost his senses.

He started to draw a bit of a crowd, and a few local girls on the ice helped him to his feet and held his arms to prevent him from falling again.

He continued with them for about 30 seconds, before gesturing that he should be ok. As soon as they let go, he suddenly skated off quickly, pirouetting and twirling like Christopher fucking Dean, much to the amusement of everyone watching. Probably the most accomplished skater on the ice.

That was Bill. A truly loveable clown, who loved making people laugh. The world is a poorer place without him.
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It was Schalke Ric and it was true Bill absolute class a proficient skater but told no one - skating backwards and grinning wildly which confused the hell out of the staff whod been trying to hold him up minutes earlier. What a man - thanks for remembering that one - classic Bill
 
Prestwich_Blue said:
He thought you were a stuck-up twat but asked me to keep that to myself. Only joking of course.

But you reminded me when you said he didn't feel right that he was a regular at the old Points of Blue, which is possibly where we met originally. He always wanted to do things for Blues, be that tickets, lifts, helping them out in any way he could. If I remember rightly, he went out of his way to help blues who were having problems. He was also the biggest and most brilliant WUM imaginable on here.

Steve Parish tried to keep POB going when the club stopped meeting us and we used to get together at the Lass O'Gowrie occasionally. It was rarely more than a dozen of us and Bill was usually one. We used to meet upstairs and he was struggling with the stairs. He clearly wasn't right and was having loads of tests, without any conclusive results. Ultimately he was diagnosed with MND of course. But he still kept going to games, even European away games, while he could, and probably long after most of us would have given up doing that.

He told me his dream was to sell up and retire to Italy. Well Bill, I hope you're free of that wasting disease and floating over the hills of Tuscany now.
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Lovely and honest words Colin.
I know (because he once told me in Summerbees when your back was turned) that he loved and respected you and Andy Hinch like blood brothers
 
Rascal said:
I am devastated by this news, Bill was such a good man, he was not only great company and a funny man, he actually cared about people. When times were hard he sent his lads to carpet my nieces house for pennies, he got it, he knew we were good people.

His love for Jess shined through, Jess i am so sorry for you, he really loved you. He would tell me how he was your taxi and he loved it. He did love you that much, as he also loved Jeanie with all his heart. The last conversation i had with them both face to face was on the train back home from Southampton after we did the 100. We got Bill a space on a busy train and i spoke with Jeanie, her love for Bill humbled me.

That was the last time I saw Bill, we spoke on the phone, usually when he was banning me for being a prick, he would tell me to go to bed and shut the fuck up, which i appreciated. He was a wise man was Bill.

Bill is a massive loss for BM, but he will join the pantheon of true BM giants and will join Scarblu and Kingy in the BM legends forum in the sky.

On the plus side Bill saw us win the lot, when i first met him we were relying on Pearces cuddly toy to get a result.


Bill my friend
may the angels bright
watch you tonight
where ever you maybe.

LOVED YOU MAN XX
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Well said Russ
 
Blue2112 said:
I first met Bill about 20 years ago, both of us used to go to reserve team games, me with my daughters Naomi and Charlotte (Charleygirl on BM) and him with Jessica, hot chocolates, good chat and a friendship formed. I used to sort tickets out for people back then as did Bill and he was the first person I can remember saying to me for a change 'Josh i'm going down to the ground do you want any tickets for whatever game'. I knew instantly we would become friends. At those reserve team games I was unsure of whether to go self-employed or not and Bill would give me advice, solid support and encouragement in believing in myself. So I did and it paid off.


It didn't take us long to start going on away trips together, two wives and three daughters in two cars soon increased with a couple more friends of the daughters and on any given weekend we would be outnumbered at least 7-2 in favour of the girls. We decided to start hiring a mini bus and making the away trip a whole family away day and the numbers grew to 15 on regular away trips as others joined the fun. Always a pub stop off on the way and a pub or restaurant on the way back. Remember these were the days when City weren't so good but the day was always filled with non stop love and laughter with memorable trips to Newcastle Sunderland, Hull and that infamous defeat at Middlesbrough 8-1.
Great moments to remember like chasing the City team bus down the motorway and slowing alongside it with everyone in the back piling over to one side whilst trying to keep the mini bus in lane. Fantastic weekends in London for Semi Finals and Finals and a moment I'll never forget watching Bill in full flow at Upton Park with a pub full of West Ham ready to flinch him alive until they realised it was just some daft fella called Bill just being Bill.
Some of the best away days I've had and isn't that what it's all about City and friendships.

He used to mither me non-stop to go on a European away trip with him but my small business was just getting off the ground and at the time I became pig headed with UEFA competitions in general and told him it wasn't for me. How much do I now regret never going with him. On one particular morning around 7am he phoned me from the Faroes and all he said was 'Whatever you read in the newspapers today it's all lies it was beef we ate but they paid us for a story' and he put the phone down laughing. I'll leave it to your imagination to determine what the papers said the Trawler boys had for dinner.

It's already been said what a character Bill was, larger than life and generous to the core, possibly as generous a man as I've yet to meet. He was a kind man, a family man who would do anything for anyone. He was also a very determined man with an incredibly positive outlook and attitude to life and set himself goals once his diagnosis had been confirmed. He ticked them off one by one and then set himself some more. He was an inspiration and along with the loving care from his family and in particular Jeanie his wife who devoted herself to caring for him they had so much more time together than expected. Bill's generosity to me and my family carried on until the very end with a day he gave us that we will all never forget and will cherish and treasure for the rest of our lives.

All my memories of Bill are happy and positive ones even towards the end because that's how Bill was. I've missed him over the past few years and I will miss him for many many more to come. Bill Lyons a true friend.

All of our love and condolences to Jeanie, Jessica, Jenna, Martin, Grandson Leeland and all the family.

Josh, Clare, Charlotte and Naomi xxxx
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Hope you’re well Josh ?
searched high and low for this photo from a trip to Blackburn. I’m not sure if it’s the famous cup game ?
 

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RIP. Never met him, that I am aware of, however you feel like you knew him through blue moon. A testament to him and this forum.
 
billybluehat said:
Hope you’re well Josh ?
searched high and low for this photo from a trip to Blackburn. I’m not sure if it’s the famous cup game ?
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I won't swear but ****me where did you dig that up from? Judging by the age of Charlotte i'd guess it is yes.

I'm good thanks, ageing like a fine wine or at least that's what I keep telling myself.
Although looking at how young I look on that photo i'm not so sure now LOL!
I hope you and your's are all good?
I cannot wait to show Charlotte that photo. I have some of my own with Bill which i'm sure Millsythemosher and Craig, (can't remember his username) are also on them. I'll find them and put them on over the weekend.
Tonight has been lovely in a strange kind of way, so many old user names popping up it's like I've gone back in time. So many fitting tributes beautifully written that capture Bills personality.

Great to hear from you and see that photo.
 
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