Post by Dave on Feb 29, 2020 10:16:35 GMT
RIP Big Roy Holmes Buckland Legend
I never expected when I turned on my PC on Sunday 23rd February to read the news that Big Roy the chairman of Buckland Athletic had sadly passed away that morning. Tears started to run down my cheeks but I did not want to believe Big Roy was no longer with us.
Big Roy was no ordinary man, but a very special one who was loved and respected by so many people because of who he was and what he gave to Buckland Athletic Football club. Big Roy was one of the club’s founding members when it was formed in 1977 as a youth team in the Torbay Pioneer League. The club made the step up to senior football in 1987 when they joined the Devon & Exeter League.
After enjoying so much success out on the pitch Big Roy oversaw the club’s step up to the Devon County League, before the formation of the South West Peninsula League in 2007. Buckland establish themselves as one of the major forces in the SWPL top flight, before they gained promotion to the Western League for the first time in their history in 2012.
From its very beginning playing its football at Sandringham Park the club moved to Homers Lane before finally their own ground for the start of the 2005/06 season at Homers Heath on the Kingskerswell Road. Over the years many improvements have been carried out to the ground and also the club house.
I am a Buckland boy and grew up there but from the age of eight years old due to family connections I was the Newton Spurs mascot. In my teens I became a big fan of Torquay United and lost touch a bit with the local football scene. That was until my own son Anthony Roach started playing in the South Devon League which was when I first started doing match reports mainly of the games he was playing in.
I started to fall out of love with professional football for a number of reasons and as a result started covering many more local games of football. While I wanted to give some coverage to as many clubs as I could, I soon discovered Buckland was the club I most wanted to support.
Homers Heath I also soon discovered was the most welcoming football ground I had ever been in, a place where you could watch a high quality game of football in a very relaxing atmosphere, but there was an extra special bonus there, a man called Big Roy. Anyone who has ever met Big Roy knows what a wonderful kind-hearted and welcoming man he was. A man happy to give you his time and share his thoughts and knowledge with you.
After entering the Heath my first port of call was always to join Big Roy at his table and we would talk for a good half hour before the start of every game. But it was not just football we talked about; he often talked about any content that I had put up on Davesworld, a site Big Roy was a member on. He regularly logged onto my site and very often left comments.
Here are just a few of them
Dave, thanks for the lovely photographs and as usual unbiased report on the game. Cheers. It was really nice to see you after such a long time. Hopefully you'll get to us again this season, maybe for a man's game in the Western league. Thanks again cheers big Roy
Once again Dave a brilliant set of photographs it's almost like being there myself. Thanks for all the effort you put in. Cheers for now Roy
Dave, I don't know if this is the second message you will get from me as I did something and the first one disappeared whether it got to you or went off into the atmosphere I don't know. Basically I was saying how I enjoyed reading and looking at the photographs of your visit to Sherborne Castle, and mentioned I have been to Sherborne three or four times to watch football but have never been into the town so it is nice to see the lovely old place it was. The trouble with going to these places for football games is you just turn up at the venue have a couple of beers watch the game and come straight home again and don't get to see what the town or village is really like. I also have enjoyed looking at the other wonderful photographs in this section. Cheers for now see you around the football circuit somewhere Dave big Roy BAFC
Hello Dave, as I get older I get worse. I didn't read it properly I thought they were all your own work and wondered how you manage to get around everywhere, just shows how thick I am these days not only in size. Look forward to seeing you again soon. Cheers for now Roy
Hello Dave, I am sorry to hear that you won't be around so much this year, we will certainly miss you up here at the Heath, but when you can make it, you will be obviously made very welcome. Obviously in life. Some things in life become a priority and obviously this is the case with you. I was one of your avid readers and will miss your regards, but I am sure you will miss doing them as much as I will reading them. Cheers for now and good luck with everything. Big Roy Buckland football club
Just a selection of some of the posts Big Roy made on Davesworld and every single one always meant so much to me, Roy always made the time to read my site and share his thoughts on a number of the threads running.
At every home game I was able to attend he always made sure I was given a copy of the team sheet to help with the writing of my match report, nothing was ever too much trouble for Big Roy.
As I write this today the Roy Holmes memorial game against Shepton Mallet has had to be cancelled due to the weather, but new arrangements to honour Roy will be announced in due course.
The massive big hole our Big Roy has left can never be filled, for me and so many others the Heath will never be the same place again, but in his name and honour, I know the club with continue to move forwards and upwards.
Thanks Big Roy for just being you, a person I was so happy to call a very special friend and one I am going to miss so very much.
My thoughts go out to all of Roy’s family and loved ones
Dave R
