Page 11 - 370167 LP253351 A Love Supreme Magazine - A5 48pp (Issue 260)

Away from cricket there weren’t many sports that Paul didn’t have a go at. Whatever it was you could guarantee that he would throw himself 100% into. Golf, Squash, Tennis, Table Tennis, Rugby, Basketball-you name it he would have a go at it. He was fiercely competitive, something that even extended to his captaincy of local quiz teams as he would give the various team members topics to swat up on and was known to show his feelings if anyone hadn’t done their homework!
He was really bright and well-read and once ap- peared on BBC’s Mastermind. He wanted to have SAFC as his specialist subject but unfortunately wasn’t allowed this as Steve Cram had chosen it on a celebrity edition not long before Paul was due to appear. Ultimately, he chose Lennox Lewis and did himself proud. He also featured on C4’s Count- down and revelled in the associated pressure.
At his funeral on November 11 in Sunderland, his beloved son Alex described how his dad was his best friend and that despite the fact that he had
no real interest in sport they were inseparable companions. Wife Elaine highlighted their loving relationship from meeting as work colleagues at Washington Child Benefit Centre and admitted that she became used to his love of sport from the very afternoon of their wedding day in the 80’s when she asked if anyone had seen Paul as he seemed to have gone missing, only to learn that he and a few mates had sloped off to watch that day’s Grand National!
I knew Paul from meeting as teenagers following Sunderland home and away many years ago now, and always found him a genuine, fun loving lad who people enjoyed being around. Sometimes his humour could be wicked, however, as I found out to my expense when he insisted four of us go up
to Northumberland camping one Friday night with the purpose of watching Berwick Bandits speedway team. Having never been to speedway previously I was as green as grass and I asked Paul where was the best place in the stadium to watch the bikes come round. He pointed to a nearby corner-the bikes revved up and flew round this bend in front
of me and showered me in dirt from head to foot.
I looked round and Paul and the other two lads were killing themselves laughing at my naivety from a position of comparative safety!
Ten of us once attended an away match at Coventry in the mid 70’s in a Seaburn Hire minibus where Paul surprised us all. After securing our first away victory that season at Highfield Road we stopped in a place called Micklefield just off the A1 in West Yorkshire on the way back to celebrate. At the end of the night, after good crack, beers and no bother, one of the locals, who was pretty pissed, suddenly started acting himself and standing in an aggressive Kung-Fu pose [Bruce Lee films were all the rage] in front of Paul suggesting he was going to be doing some moves on him. Suddenly, Paul, who wasn’t really a fighter, puts his fists up quickly and tells the lad that he’s a professional boxer and to get outside. Quick as a flash, the lad apologises and sat down and said: “I were only joking mate.” We were in hysterics as were the Bruce Lee wannabee’s mates!
Paul’s talents even extended to writing a column for The Orlando Sentinel in the USA. Holidaying in Florida for three weeks he bought that publication each Sunday and contacted the editor saying that their cover- age of English football was really poor and resultantly he got the gig of doing a weekly write up as their English football writer and did so for over a year-shy bairns and all that!
This piece only touches on his interesting and varied life, there is so much more to tell. The bottom line, however, is that Paul Davi- son was one of life’s gems, a lifelong friend that it was a privilege to know and who will be fondly remembered by all who came across him. His accident highlighted how much a person’s life can change in an instant and how we should all take nothing for granted. He fought his challenges with real verve and dignity until the very end.
Love yer mate. RIP
ALOVESUPREME | ISSUE260 | 11
BY TOM LYNN