Bernard Halford

Just heard..so very sad to hear of this. Big Bernard big blue. Thank you for sorting out my Gillingham tickets at Wembley. Thoughts to to his family x
 
R.I.P. Bernard. Condolences to his family. I hope City sort out a minutes' applause before the Cardiff game.
 
Not normally one for putting private stuff out there in public but in case any of his family come on here, my old fella (roughly same age as Bernard), died last week and so going through the same emotions as his family at the moment.

One of the things that helps me is the fact that (like many of you I'm sure) l have shared some of the best moments of my life with my dad, watching City through good times and bad. Whether it was looking at each other in disbelief as Jamie Pollock nodded the ball in his own net or calling at the house after Sergio scored (he wasn't well enough to go by then) and hugging him like we'd just scored, these moments are what will live with me forever and always make me smile.

I'm sure Bernard and his family will have had many similar moments and I hope they help them remember him with pride and joy.
 
I started a short reply with simple condolences but it didn't seem enough.

So, here's the first part - and if you want to continue, continue.


Dear Bernard,

Or should I call you Mr Manchester City?

Where are you? Where will you sit now to watch City? Up there on a blue-tinted cloud or somewhere on the moon waving a blue flag ever so proud? Is there less of a queue at half-time for a pint? Who will listen to your stories?

Firstly, I envy your position within the club and I am proud that you were one of our own for so long. You deserved the crown of Life President at City. It was only the second one handed out. Gary Cook back then made a great speech about it all. I read it in the programme and the website. I bet your face was beaming with your familiar smile. You could have retired at that time, but no your cracked on!

The Blue Moon Rising video catapulted you to many who had not seen you in person. A few scenes in dusty relic rooms here and a few words there. Wasn’t much but we all knew who you were. Not quite Carlos Tevez or Adebayor and their riches, but you had something more. A genuine belief in your club – from an early age to an this early exit. For me it feels like a defeat against Halifax Town in the cup. You never were given the rounds of life’s cup competition that you deserved.

I think some will appreciate that you’ve been with us in the dark days and here in the days when polish was on the purchase orders. You’ve had budgets in red numbers and abusive shouts thrown your way. It can’t have been easy. Forgive those who did it.

I enjoyed seeing your lift the 2011 F.A. Cup. You know why? Because, anyone who sticks with us and City that long, deserves golden moments. You did it for us. You came from Chadderton, via Ardwick, and managed nearly 40 years between Moss Side and east Manchester’s Sportcity-Etihad Campus-CFA-Bradford. Okay, you had to work at Oldham first, but that’s not a bad thing, if it got you to your dream club. That boyhood dream to lift a cup was earned.

...continued.

And, yes writing is my therapy.​
 
BlueKolarovWorker said:
Not normally one for putting private stuff out there in public but in case any of his family come on here, my old fella (roughly same age as Bernard), died last week and so going through the same emotions as his family at the moment.

One of the things that helps me is the fact that (like many of you I'm sure) l have shared some of the best moments of my life with my dad, watching City through good times and bad. Whether it was looking at each other in disbelief as Jamie Pollock nodded the ball in his own net or calling at the house after Sergio scored (he wasn't well enough to go by then) and hugging him like we'd just scored, these moments are what will live with me forever and always make me smile.

I'm sure Bernard and his family will have had many similar moments and I hope they help them remember him with pride and joy.
Click to expand...

Loved that
 
I remember during our 2012 title parade me and a mate shouted up to him when he was on the parade bus, then later on at a completely different point we did the same again. He must've thought we were stalking him as we didn't even bother letting on to any of the players or Mancini.

Was part of the furniture for sure and I must admit to not particularly taking a shine to him back in the day as I saw him as just another one of Swales' cronies, but he survived multiple regime changes which showed that people at the club other than Swales appreciated him.

I'm not sure where the Rags are going to get a full block of home end tickets from for their away derbies from now on though!
 
RIP

jeez i bet he has some stories to tell . Wish he’d written a warts n all book from the wigged ones time. But i suppose credit to him that those stories have gone to the grave with him.

From Swales to the sheik! Even had the tital for him
 
BlueKolarovWorker said:
Not normally one for putting private stuff out there in public but in case any of his family come on here, my old fella (roughly same age as Bernard), died last week and so going through the same emotions as his family at the moment.

One of the things that helps me is the fact that (like many of you I'm sure) l have shared some of the best moments of my life with my dad, watching City through good times and bad. Whether it was looking at each other in disbelief as Jamie Pollock nodded the ball in his own net or calling at the house after Sergio scored (he wasn't well enough to go by then) and hugging him like we'd just scored, these moments are what will live with me forever and always make me smile.

I'm sure Bernard and his family will have had many similar moments and I hope they help them remember him with pride and joy.
Click to expand...

Lovely post. RIP your dad too
 
Very sad news. Condolences to his family. He was a true blue, a dedicated servant to the club in some very difficult times and fully deserved to be known as Mr Manchester City. He set a wonderful example of a kind of loyalty and selfless devotion which is now unique. Farewell Mr Manchester city.
 
Very sad news. Didn’t see that coming. The man is blue through and through. He of all deserves to have witnessed great years since the takeover. May he rest in peace.
 
Gray said:
My son always tells the story of when he was in one of the endless queues we used to get for tickets, this time it was at the Etihad and it wound round the inside of the concourse.

Bernard just happened to be passing by and he spotted my son glaring in his direction, quick as a flash he blurted out "it's not my bloody fault".
Click to expand...
Which beggars the question, if, when the ticket selling was a shambles, whose fault was it?
 
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