Temptation

Richard and I knew each other through his youth footballing days in Alton where he was playing for the local club. He was a very promising young youth team player (16-18 yrs). Myself, a little older playing in the Men's teams. He often turned out for the Men's teams too as he was probably better than most of us!

Although Richard was a good 4 or 5 years younger than me we shared as similar love for indie and alternative music at the time and identified ourselves as being a little different in the a footie club full of Luther Vandross and Alexanfer O'Neal fans at the time (nothing wrong with that now of course!)

To continue, we both had a love of New Order and in particular he lent me his double CD copy of Substance which I duly recorded onto cassette of course! Years later I bought the CD myself and when I play it, which is fairly regularly a few times a year, I always have the memory of Richard and I discussing our likes (or dislikes) of the bands of the day. Obviously Richard's music taste has blossomed since; whereas I'm still a 6Music indie kid at heart ha ha ha!

We both also loved Man City football club and recently discussed a few games through this Messenger service. I very much wish I'd stayed in contact with Richard over the intervening years before Social Media. He was very easy to talk to about everything, perhaps more so than most of my friends at the time as we had more in common.

It was with great sadness and shock that I learned of his passing today and only wished I had met up with him in Camden at some point to continue the music and friendship and to introduce my boys to his boys at some point and go to City matches, but alas it wasn't to be.

My song for Richard is obviously a track from New Order's Substance album which is very difficult as I love them all, so I'll pick Temptation as the one to go with but it could so easily have been The Perfect Kiss, Bizarre Love Triangle, True Faith... any of them really! Lots of warm hearted hugs to you and all his family and closest friends. Wish I got to know you all through him but life takes over and then, well, you know regrets of not meeting up, but happiness that I was a friend of Richard's and that I knew him enough to think of him as a wonderful human being. All the best and take care

Rob Sayer