Davie Milne - RIP my friend

The man in lower centre of this photograph in the blue cap sporting the grey goatee is Davie Milne. It was taken by someone in the crowd (thank you @stilladdicted) at the New Den on 1st December and was the last match Davie attended following his beloved Charlton Athletic.

His addiction was not an ordinary one. Spawned from his boyhood admiration of Sam Bartram, a keeper he modelled his own game on, he followed Charlton Athletic for over 50 years from his home town in Elgin, north-east Scotland, 600 miles from the Valley. With work, young children and no-one he knew in London, it wasn't until we had returned to the Valley in the 90's that he finally made his first trip down south. 

He came down on many occasions after that and I was fortunate enough to get to know him over a pint in the Royal Oak and establish that my Grand-father had taught him physics at school. He absolutely loved everything about being at the Valley and standing amongst fellow Addicks. Charlton Life greatly enriched his sense of belonging and fed his craving for news and views between the games he could get to. He was at the Greatest Game with his wife and daughter (a keen Addick herself) and he brought a number of his friends down over the years. He drove the same distance as us to be at Carlisle for our promotion game last season and I am so pleased he was able to share that great experience with us.

Davie died suddenly of a heart-attack on Saturday on the tee at Spey Valley Golf Course (another love of his). I will miss his pre-season phone call when, with never ending enthusiasm, he would be asking me what our new signings were looking like and whether or not this would be our year. RIP Davie.