I don't know if any of you saw the local news or read the MEN last week but sadly my very dear friend Danny Bradley has died aged 53. Dan was on a trip to Belfast on the ferry from Liverpool on the night of May 18th. He never made it to Belfast and was reported missing by his family. his body was discovered washed up on the coast this past weekend in Barrow in Furness.
I've known Dan about eight or nine years. When my wife gave up her season card after we had a couple of kids, Dan moved into her seat in block 123. We very quickly became good friends. I went to loads of away matches with Dan. He always organised the tickets for the away games as I was working overseas I couldn't sort it so easily.
When we got to the cup final against Stoke, I left my card with Dan to sort the tickets for the game. It was apparent that his points were a day shy of getting a ticket for himself but I said we should wait to get both together. He knew he wasn't going to get one on his own card but he went and queued 6 hours for my ticket rather than me miss out. He only told me he did that after he got me a ticket. The next day the game was sold out. I felt awful when I met him at Piccadilly station the following Friday to collect my ticket from him. It transpired that I managed to get some club Wembley tickets the night before the game so Dan could have my ticket after all. I was amazed that he would take the day off work to go get my cup final ticket.
I bought a season card for my kids to share the season we played Sunderland in the league cup final. I told Dan that I couldn't choose between my kids who to take to the final. He said take both then, have my ticket. He was serious that if I wanted it I could have it. I didn't take him up on his offer but Dan was like a lot of us blue to the core , starved of success all these years but I could have his cup final ticket if I wanted it.
He was a funny ,intelligent man with a lovely manner about him. He was well liked by all the people who sat around him. He was a real gentleman. He had a real social conscience.
I really cannot believe I won't see him again.
The cause of his death is still being investigated and it's too early to speculate what happened to him.
Dan was a member of this forum, I don't know his username as we always discussed City in person.
Good bye Dan, R.I.P. I Will never ever forget you mate.
