Here’s a Christmas message from our club chaplain, lifelong Darlo fan John Barker

This was going to be a more or less normal message linked to the Christmas season. I say more or less because at present nothing is normal and sadly our “new normal” is very different from how our lives used to be before the spectre that is COVID transformed our lives last year.

However, the news of Osagi Bascombe’s passing on Saturday means that this message will be even more different than it might have been if it had been written pre-COVID. My parish is in London, and this means that I have sadly become almost tranquilised in reacting to news of stabbings, gang feuds, and the ridiculous wasting of young lives on the streets of the capital. My parish is very close to Wealdstone (yes, we smacked them 4-1 in the Trophy in February!). Only a couple of weeks ago young people started fighting in the centre and a 22 year old guy was left fighting for his life after being stabbed.

This event provoked sadness in me. However, that was nothing compared to how I felt when I heard that Osagi had been murdered in Bermuda. When we know the person involved (even if knowing means seeing him on the pitch and watching THAT free kick over and over again on YouTube) then the tragedy seems even more personal. It is the same as when a team that we don’t really support gets hammered in a match. We simply smile and think, “wow, 8-0 that must have been quite a match”. I’m just old enough to remember listening to the BBC results programme and hearing the score Doncaster 10 Darlington 0. That really hurt, even if I was still at junior school!

So, Osagi has gone and nothing that we can do will bring him back. However, his memory will stay with us always, and if ever it becomes blurred all we have to do is whisper the word Walsall! Where does this leave us with a Christmas message? My message for us all is to treasure every second that we have on God’s earth this Christmas time and beyond. May we count our blessings and appreciate them. Most of us are lucky enough to have good health, family, and friends. We all have Darlo, OUR club. Yes, it’s going to be a funny old Christmas but may you enjoy and treasure every second of it. Take care of yourselves and of your loved ones.

May God bless you all,

John

Club Chaplain

PS If I’m allowed a Christmas wish, may it be for great results against the “Pride of County Durham”!

The Gateshead game is our Shelter #NoHomeKit day -- details are here:

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/quakers-support-shelter-nohomekit-day