On board the ill-fated MH-17 Malaysian Airlines flight were two of my friends. John Alder & Liam Sweeney. Both were on their way to New Zealand via Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpar when they were cruelly and tragically caught up in an act of war they had no right to be involved in.
Hearing news of that nature, such as 9/11 or the Lockerbie disaster in 1988 is awful and can affect you greatly, but when something like this happens that is so close to home and you know people involved, it is even worse.
Being a supporter of Newcastle United and attending games, home, away and abroad, I had gotten to know John quite well. He was a very quiet and shy person but if you got to know him you realised what a great person he was. I had casually conversed with him over the years but it wasn't until I made my first trip to the United States in July 2011 that I got to know him better. I had booked up the trip to see Newcastle United play 3 games in Kansas City, Orlando and Columbus, and was travelling with my friend 'Blondie' Alan. John had booked up separately but our itinerary's had over-lapped, so aside from seeing him at the games, John sat behind me on the same flight flying from Kansas to Orlando via Atlanta. We also enjoyed some post-match beers in those cities. In 2013 he drove me from Gateshead to Manchester to watch Newcastle play Manchester City, and he even went out of his way to drop me back in Newcastle City Center as he knew I was late for meeting a friend's birthday event.
John was known as the 'Undertaker' due to travelling to every Newcastle game in his 'lucky' suit. He missed just a single Newcastle game in 41 years (Watford away in November 2006). It was a pleasure getting to know what was Newcastle's greatest ever supporter. John had been to well over 300 different Grounds over the years and was substantially more than anybody else.
Liam, I knew a whole lot better. I first met him 12 years ago where we worked together at the same supermarket, but I only got to know him properly as a friend when he started going to Newcastle away games. I was there with him when he went to his first away game in November 2005 at Goodison Park, Everton and I was stood alongside him and John at their last ever game, at Boundary park, Oldham less than 2 days before they lost their lives.
Liam was one of my closest friends, and over the last seven years there were not many times I attended a game when he was not there with me. It has been a real struggle to go to games now without him.
The media has reported just how much Liam loved football, and of course he did, he had been to nearly 90 different grounds watching Newcastle and was becoming the 'Undertaker's Apprentice' but for those who really knew him, there was so much more to him than that. He loved his rock music, Metallica & Kiss mainly, but he also loved Meatloaf. I too am a fan of Metallica, which was mainly due to Liam's influence, but I am certainly no fan of Meatloaf, and I used to delight in pointing that out to him. Liam also loved watching films and again influenced me to watch movies I probably would never have even thought about.
Liam provided me with so many happy memories over the years, and those shall remain private, but what I will share is this, as a friend he was one of the best. He would do anything he could to help his friends and could deliver some great one-liners that even in the most difficult of occasions could lighten the mood.
To be murdered in the horrific way John and Liam was is terrible. We are still not sure who was behind the attack, whether it was Ukrainian Separatists who want to be a part of Russia, or War Criminals from Chechnya who Vladimir Putin has been using to cause unrest, either way there are still many questions needing answers. Liam has now been laid to rest last week, and John's body has been formally identified with his funeral still awaited.
I am going to end with this. I have lost two friends and the world is a much poorer place without them in it. I think the fact both Liam and John were travelling to the furthest point in the world away from Newcastle to watch two meaningless pre-season friendlies says all you need to know. They were committed football supporters. How many sports fans would be prepared to travel that far and pay a considerable amount of money to do so? my guess is not many.
RIP Liam & John both cruelly taken too soon.
