Arthur Leaver and Roy Davies

All involved in local football were shocked to hear two of their stalwarts, Arthur Leaver and Roy Davies, passed away suddenly within hours of each other on Friday afternoon and early Saturday morning.
Arthur Leaver was 69 last year and has been involved in Basingstoke League football since starting as a Club Linesman with Sherfield in 1969 and later registered as a referee, quickly gaining promotion to the Hampshire League. He later became Team Manager of Ramsdell United Reserve team and when Dale Alley was formed he had four years with them in the Sunday League and went on to assist in the running of Stratfield-Saye and Griffin Athletic Football Clubs.
Arthur then joined the Management Committee of the Basingstoke & District Football League 22 years ago and was quickly appointed Fixture Secretary, a position he has held with distinction. Arthur was well know and liked by all in football and could be seen on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings out with his camera taking pictures for the Gazette, much appreciated by the clubs and players and will be a hard act to follow.
Arthur has received both Hampshire and North Hants FA Services to Football awards in recognition of his fine achievements in the game. The past few seasons Arthur become involved in the Basingstoke Ladies Football team, assisting them, attending all home and away matches, with match reports seen in the Gazette each week, always with his camera at the ready. ..

The funeral has been arranged for Friday 29th May at the Basingstoke Crematorium at 3.30 pm with the Wake at the Sherborne St John Social Club.
The Basingstoke & District Football League wish to express their sincere condolences to Pauline and his daughter Rhiannon at this sad time.

Roy Davies was 66 and has been on the Basingstoke League Management Committee for the last 13 years and is a Vice President, he is also the Saturday Section League representative on the North Hants Football Association.
It was at 1 am on Saturday morning when colleagues from the Basingstoke Labour Club called to pick him up for a weekend trip to Belgium and called the ambulance and he was found to have died, a profound shock for all at the Club and the League.
Roy was Vice Chairman of the Basingstoke Labour Club and his football involvement has mainly been with the Basingstoke Labour Club Football team, going back to the late 70.s when they were a force in the league and won the Premier Division, North Hants May Cup.
He has remained with them acting as linesman, general dog’s body and was also Assistant Manager under Geoff Poulter in the glory days and has stayed with them through thick and thin and he must have been pleased to see the team on the rise again after gaining promotion to Division One this season.
Roy was 66 years old and single; retiring last year from working many years at Jewson’s the Building Supplier, where he was popular with the staff and customers, as he was in his quiet way with all who met him.