Fans of Bedford Blues and the wider sport of rugby union have been paying tribute to former player, team manager and President, Gareth Davies who has passed away at the age of 83.
Memories and appreciation have flooded social media after Bedford Blues announced Gareth’s passing on Thursday (25 July).
“The club is saddened to share the heartbreaking news of the passing of a true legend of the club, Gareth Davies, at the age of 83 following his recent illness.
“Undoubtedly one of the most iconic figures at Goldington Road, Gareth epitomised Bedford Blues and everything that makes the club so special.
“The outpouring of condolence highlights just how much Gareth was respected and liked, not just at Bedford Blues, but within the town and the wider rugby family.”
Blues through and through
After three campaigns at London Welsh, Davies landed in Bedford to teach at Westfield School, simultaneously arriving at Goldington Road for training in an attempt to gain the number ten jersey.
He would go on to represent the first team on 81 occasions, eventually hanging up his boots in 1988 at the age of 47 after playing for every Bedford team from the Blues to the Rovers.
Stints as part of the backroom staff followed, as Team Manager from 1998 to 2001 followed by an 18-year period as Club President from 2003.
Gareth also helped kick start the Junior Blues; currently the nation’s third biggest junior rugby setup, over fifty years since Davies and his former teammates helped with its formation.
His legacy as one of Bedford Blues’ most important figures is secured and his presence around Goldington Road will be missed for years to come.
Some would accuse society of overusing the word ‘legend’ in recent years, but when it comes to rugby union, and especially Bedford Blues, there is no better fit for a man universally loved at Goldington Road.
From fly half to the backroom, and Cefneithin, West Wales to our town of Bedford, Gareth epitomised what the Blues are all about.
Always friendly, always kind and bestowing the knowledge of a thousand men, his wisdom and words of encouragement helped support decades’ worth of Blues players and fans alike.
Nos da, Gareth
Sam Roberts, currently the Goldington Road stadium announcer and regular MC for events in the Goldington Road marquee remembers Gareth as not just a man of rugby, but also a man of words.
In a post on ‘X’, he wrote: ‘Gareth would often recite Shakespeare to me. We would sometimes, towards the end of a match, dinner or event, sit next to each other and have a ‘Shakespeare off’; my classical acting training against his enormous memory.
‘He would always win. We would sometimes recite a speech in unison and then fall about laughing at the daftness of it all.
‘I’ve had messages and phone calls from people all around the game. He was a small Welsh fly half and kit man, but his reach did o’erstretch the sport. Until we meet again… Goodnight my friend.’
The sheer quantity of tributes left by fans of the Blues, rival clubs and even former students of Gareth’s merely show how loved he was, with many reminiscing of times when Gareth would simply stop for a chat.
‘A true gent and wonderful company. Loved the banter with him. [He is] a huge loss’, said one comment on Facebook, amongst a plethora of similar sentiments about a much-loved gentleman.
Gareth is survived by his wife, Marie and daughter Lucy and the thoughts from us all at the Bedford Independent are with them at this difficult time.
Nos da, Gareth.
