Lofty - RIP

[ratbert]

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/a-true-local-hero" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A tribute to the great man from Tango, and I'm sure you'll agree he speaks for us all.

[Bruce Rioja]

just a note from a leicester city supporter, very sorry to hear the news , he was truly one of the greatest ,rip

Cheers, mate. Our town is missing its legend. Thank you.

[Wandering Willy]

Bet Nat is having his ear bent right now by Dave Higson over a pint and a chaser!!!

What a splendid thought that is.

Great article TD, and to all the supporters of other clubs who have expressed condolences on here - thanks.

[bw@bw]

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/a-true-local-hero

A tribute to the great man from Tango, and I'm sure you'll agree he speaks for us all.

Beautifully expressed

Thanks Tango

[P.O.S.]

Bet Nat is having his ear bent right now by Dave Higson over a pint and a chaser!!!

What a splendid thought that is.

It is indeed, made me smile that did

[William the White]

Tango says it for me, word by word... Was there ever a player and a club so intertwined? And a country so enthralled and served so well in football?

And Nat himself was like some schoolboy hero, those bruises and scars and stitches, and that refusal ever to surrender was like something from the Hotspur!!!

But he could play football... Oh, he could... And he could score goals... Relentlessly... Was there ever a more thankless task than marking Nat Lofthouse, when you walk onto the pitch knowing it's much more likely than not that today you'll fail? For his club he scores in 2 out of every 3 games; for his country, 9 in every ten...

Today there has been, nationwide, a recognition of the passing of someone very special in our country... I suspect that his death has been reported everywhere football is played... And even where it isn't... Today I've had messages from the USA...

And in our town we know that someone always true to us has gone... I shall be laying flowers today at my club's stadium... And I may find myself parking, alone, quiet, remembering, at the place that was once Burnden Park, a time when I walked along the Manny Road with my father... to watch Nat...

And feel that I was privileged...

[TANGODANCER]

A really nice tribute in The Independant:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obitu ... 86129.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Horza]

Great tribute, Tango.

Didn't know anything about him when I started watching but quickly became aware, for he defines this club. Tough, humble, loyal - the first still gets bandied about in football but very few players are given the other two.

R.I.P Nat

[bw@bw]

A really nice tribute in The Independant:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obitu ... 86129.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ivan Ponting writes wonderful obits - and he has certainly not let us down

[seanworth]

Great article. Cheers for that. I think what has become clearer for outsiders like myself the past couple days though is not Nat's importance to the Bolton Wanderers, that I already knew and appreciated, but his importance to the town of Bolton as a whole.

[Juewanderer]

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/a-true-local-hero

A tribute to the great man from Tango, and I'm sure you'll agree he speaks for us all.

Thanks Tango....very well written and it does speak for all of us BWFC fans.

I don't mind saying that although the sad news was expected..i've shed a tear over it..


R.I.P Nat ...a proud Boltonian and BWFC legend...You will be in our hearts forever
Good night, God bless xxxxxx

[keveh]

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/a-true-local-hero

A tribute to the great man from Tango, and I'm sure you'll agree he speaks for us all.

A great piece that Tango, and I'd definitely like to hear more like that from others.

There will be a lot of younger folk like me who know all about Lofthouse but will never have seen him place, not in the flesh at least. It's great to be able to get personal views of anybody who experienced him playing.

[Armchair Wanderer]

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/a-true-local-hero

A tribute to the great man from Tango, and I'm sure you'll agree he speaks for us all.

A great piece that Tango, and I'd definitely like to hear more like that from others.

There will be a lot of younger folk like me who know all about Lofthouse but will never have seen him place, not in the flesh at least. It's great to be able to get personal views of anybody who experienced him playing.

Completely agree. Very sad indeed. He was a great player but the personal story is also very moving.

RIP

[clapton is god]

Well said Tango, well said.

[BWFC_Insane]

Reading the piece by Tango and that one in the independent doesn't half bring a tear to the eye!

[Lennon'sEleven]

Goodbye Nat.

RIP.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Trying to steer clear of the majority of the tributes - met Nat only twice - once at a match and once at my granddad's funeral - they played together at BWFC in the black and white days, and he was such a nice man, gave me a pat on the head and was told to 'go and get what you like from the bar, cock, but just make sure it's pop'.

[ratbert]

Anyone else who would like to write a tribute please do so - especially those who met him. Keep it short so we can put them all into one article. Ideally I'd like these to go on the front page for Wednesday. Thanks.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Anyone else who would like to write a tribute please do so - especially those who met him. Keep it short so we can put them all into one article. Ideally I'd like these to go on the front page for Wednesday. Thanks.

Done

[Zulus Thousand of em]

I'll give you an example of my personal experiences of the man.

Around about 1970 we had one of the worst teams that I had ever seen. Nat had stepped in as manager. There was an away game at Carlisle United and me and my mates from up Breightmet were on one of the three Hargreaves Coaches that staggered up the M6 to Carlisle's Brunton Park. I would have been around fifteen at the time. We got stuffed and as we were leaving Carlisle our coach broke down on the big roundabout just before the start of the M6. Our driver faffed around for half an hour and then announced that the coach wasn't going anywhere. A replacement coach was being sent up from Bolton and we should not expect it for at least two hours. So we were all stood next to the coach awaiting developments.

At that moment the Wanderers team coach hove majestically into view. We all waved and the players waved back (made our day as bad as they were!) Then a strange thing happened. The coach went all the way around the roundabout and came back and stopped next to us. Nat came down from the coach and asked what was happening. He then insisted that we all got on the team coach back to Bolton. We couldn't believe his gratitude. Fortunately our coach was only half full and the team coach was a monster. He came down the coach and spoke to all of us - to put us at ease in the presence of our heroes (bear in mind we were just snotty Breightmet kids!) The team had arranged to have a meal at a posh hotel on the way back - could have been the Tickled Trout, but I may be mistaken. When the coach arrived at the hotel Nat nipped into the hotel and then returned. He stood up at the front of the bus and addressed us. I'll never forget his words. "Listen lads. We are having dinner here and the hotel have kindly agreed to let you in. We'll only be an hour and I have organised for you to all have a sandwich and a soft drink in the bar. Remember, you are representatives of Bolton Wanderers Football Club. I know you won't let me down." We didn't. After we got back to Bolton my dad wrote to Nat at the club to thank him for what he did. Nat replied to my dad and in his letter he said "It's the least I could have done for fellow Boltoners."

That was the measure of the man. We'll never see another like him.