A much-loved rugby coach and club stalwart has sadly passed away.
Andy Gordon, a long-serving member of Bicester Rugby Union Football Club, died on June 27.
He was described as 'a life that inspired, a legacy that endures' by Bicester Rugby Union Football Club, with club president Simon 'Cheese' Grater paying a heartfelt tribute to Mr Gordon’s lasting impact.
Mr Grater said: "Andy gave many years to the club and to the game that he loved.
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"He served time as the Mini & Junior Chairman, organising hugely successful club festivals, which were a tribute to his hard work and attention to detail.
"He also successfully coached several girls' teams, including the County XV, way before the women’s game was as popular as it is now."
He said that Mr Gordon 'helped out at Bicester School with after school training sessions and regularly attended their awards evenings'.
"He also helped me coach several junior teams from their early years to adult rugby," Mr Grater added. "Andy was always a person you could rely on.
"He wasn’t just someone who helped me on the training field; he brought integrity, reliability, and humour to it but never sought credit for his hard work.
"He kept us in check with his wise words (personally, he saved me from many a red card!) and he instilled kindness, teamwork, and quiet leadership."
Mr Grater said Mr Gordon would be remembered forever for these qualities.
He said: "He also had a great sense of humour, often playing the fool, which always made the team (and his fellow coaches) laugh, especially when it was cold and miserable.
"Andy leaves behind his wife Jo, and their children, Abi and Andrew, whom he loved dearly and was so proud of all their achievements.
"Personally, I will miss him, and our chats on the touchline just putting the world of rugby to rights and chatting about life in general.
"Sometimes life just isn’t fair. Rest in peace, mate. Gone but never forgotten."
The club president said Mr Gordon would be 'mourned and missed by many well beyond the doors of Bicester RFC'.
Bicester Rugby Union Football Club extended its deepest condolences to his family and friends and said that his influence and example would not be forgotten.
The club is a community-focused rugby club that emphasises player development and enjoyment at all levels, welcoming boys and girls from under-fives through to senior sides.
