Lofty - RIP

[CAPSLOCK]

On behalf of us West Ham fans, may I say R.I.P to a true, and I mean true, legend of the game and a proper gentleman as well. The likes of Nat Lofthouse will never be seen again, but may their achievements and memories live forever, and stand as a testament to a time when the game was all about just that...the game.

R.I.P Nat...sorely missed.

Thank you

[mrwatford]

RIP NAT frow a watford fan and all the best to your club

[Tombwfc]

Impossible to sum up what he meant to the club and the town.

RIP.

[screech powers]

Sad news for everyone connected with not just the club, but with English football as a whole.

RIP Nat

[CrazyHorse]

RIP NAT frow a watford fan and all the best to your club

Cheers pal.

[Enzo Gambaro]

Although this has been inevitable for quite a while now, it did not lessen the blow when the news was announced. It is difficult to find the words to sum up the overwhelming loss to our town and our club so I will not even attempt to. Just want to pay my respects to a great footballer and a great man.

RIP Nat Lofthouse

Legend

[blurred]

Terribly sad news. Condolences to his family and friends.

[hisroyalgingerness]

Nat Lofthouse was just a name in which when I started attending Burnden at a young age - you just immediately associate with the club and somehow understand what he means. Then as you grow up, and you learn more and it just reinforces it further - the number of goals, the sole association with this club, that night in Vienna, the number of appearances and the FA Cup final win.

I worked at the Bok and met him briefly on a couple of occasions and he was just tremendous.

[Ziggy]

RIp Sir Nat.
A true legend.
We heard the sad news at the Lifeline party tonight, the Lifeline that Nat was so instrumental in setting up, really quite poignant.
May your memory last forever!

[bwfc1979]

gutted never saw him play and never met the man and i say man in the best term ever he was the foundations of our club we will never see another like him with such loyalty we have lost somthing we will never see again

[CAPSLOCK]

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[briandax]

Grew up idolising Lofty, will never forget him putting Harry Gregg and the ball in the back of the net in `58 cup final.

You were and are a true great thanks Lofty

[Dujon]

I just came across the news on the BBC Sports page. Whilst it comes to all of us eventually the information induced a sense of shock and disappointment. Add to that a strange sense of loss - after all I never met the man, although I saw him play one match - and it induced an emotion of confusion and questioning. I had hoped that Mr Lofthouse had a few years left stored in his kit bag and locker.

So, Mr L., thanks.

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[Salford Trotter]

RIP Nat. A giant of the game and a true gentleman!

[Bigzippy]

We have lost a great and we as football fans will never see the like again.

I had the honour to shake hands and have a few words with Nat in the 2002 and I will never forget that moment. I am glad that the name will live on.

I wonder if the club would consider retiring his shirt number? I know its not really done here but it happens a lot in some sports and if anyone deserves the honour then he does.

RIP Nat

[HMX]

Very saddening, true legend. RIP

[Luna]

Very sad day for the club. Condolences to his family. RIP Nat.

[Athers]

So saddening to get home to this news, we've lost THE man of our club.

My generation never saw him play but we know what he did in his life, be assured this will be passed on so our man won't be forgotten.

Rest in peace Nat.

[Roooooney]

This is from ALL Manchester United supporters.

When I was a nipper in 1958, 6 years old in fact, the plane that was carrying my team back from Munich crashed and 8 of our players died. All my heroes were taken away in one night and I was devestated. Why the f*ck did this happen to the team I love, Manchester United?

We borrowed 10 players within a month and managed to play our games. We won the FA Cup 3rd round and did OK in the league. Our manager lay in hospital on deaths doorstep, Duncan Edwards finally died after 15 days but United carried on. We'll never die, we'll never die!!

We got to the 4th round of the cup, then the fifth round , quarter final, semis and amazingly, despite most of our team being missing we reached the FA Cup Final. How could we lose that game? We had crawled from the ashes of Munich and God only knows how, had reached the cup final.

Nat Lofthouse scored two goals on that day in May 1958 and Manchester United lost the final. It seemed impossible that they would, but Nat Lofthouse made sure they did.

I couldn't even bring myself to say his name for so many years. But as they say, time is a great healer and as the years passed I realised what a true professional and genious he really was.

He did what most people probably didn't want to do. He scored the goals to end United's run to the final.

I now look back with sadness at that final but with joy that a true gent such as Nat Lofthouse scored those goals to bring United back down to reality. We had no right to win anything because of a plane crash.

Nat Lofthouse proved to the world that day in 1958 what a true professional he was. His job was to score goals and win matches for his club and he did that without affection or distraction from anywhere.

I have held Nat highly in my estimations for many a year now and have watched so many of his games that I have actually become a big fan of his.

He will be sorely missed by many fans, not just from Bolton but from Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, London..........the list is endless.

Farewell Nat, the life might have ended, now let the memories begin. R.I.P.

[Worthy4England]

Never had the pleasure of seeing him play, but met him a few times on sporting occasions. A true gent and a tough cookie.