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Ian White


Tone

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I posted on Facebook, on our SuperValeAbroad group.

The 20th anniversary of Ian White's passing just went by a couple of weeks ago. He will not be forgotten by those of us that were around in the 90s.

For many reasons, whilst thinking about my beloved Port Vale, Ian White crossed my mind today. Young fans will not remember him, but he was the most passionate Vale fan of his era. That was the most memorable of all times for most of us older fans, the 1990s, when we got to play at Wembley Stadium - three times - when it was rare for lower league clubs. We rose to glorious heights and had a team, a group of players, we were proud of. None was more proud than Ian White. 
Yet Ian was an exile. He didn’t walk every day, up Hamil Road. He fired up his aging Vauxhall Cavalier and, on a wing and a prayer, he drove all over the country to many away grounds. The Sheffield Valiants flag was often seen amongst visiting fans. 
During that time, the early days of the internet, we still relied on very basic communication. We looked forward to the Sentinel reports and the Green ‘Un. Then instant messaging became popular, Yahoo groups, and chat rooms. I recall many a session with Ian and his passion filled the pages of the early forums. 
Ian White left us on May 15th, 2001, just 20 years ago. He left behind a young son, Henry, who also bears the name Rudgie, and a brother Mark. 
God rest your soul, Ian.

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Lovely piece, Tone. I remember Ian well - he was an absolute hero. I was told of his passing by one of my pupils, Kirsty. We were both gobsmacked. The nature of his death hit us even harder. A great Valiant and one who deserves to be remembered like this. 

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I had the good fortune of knowing Ian. Him, myself and our friend, Bryan set up the Sheffield Travelling Valiants. Ian was one of a kind. He drove like a maniac. On one occasion we flew into a field heading towards a Vale home night game. We won one nil. We went back to the field to try and find his number plate. It was pitch black. Kevin Kent stopped his car and climbed into the field with us to try and find bits of splattered number plates. We played the Sjoke at the Victoria dump, I think the Autoglas Trophy game.  For one reason or another we couldn’t travel together. I spotted him at halftime with a bloodied shirt and dried blood covering his face. I thought he had got involved in a fight. He had turned his car over on the way there and got the pick up truck to drop him outside the ground.  We carted that flag around for years only finding out about 2 years in that we had spelt ‘Sheffield’ wrong ‘Shefflied’. A great man, a wonderful friend. A big shout out to ‘Sir John’ who had left the Vale a year or so earlier but came to Sheffield with his wife to attend the funeral. 

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I did not know Ian, but I remember hearing his story.

The nature of his passing is just so, so sad.  A real lump in throat story.

I also feel honoured that I shared my best times as a Vale fan with him.  What great, great days they were.

God bless you Ian.

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I also remember Ian White, who was a big part of the Vale Mail email group in the days before forums.

He was always passionate and honest and for those reasons, his emails on the Vale made for essential reading.

He is sadly missed. There's been plenty of times when I wondered what his thoughts and actions about things like MOLD and Norman Smurthwaite would have been like. 

RIP Ian. 

 

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1 hour ago, mr.hobblesworth said:

Did you both have some part in organising the balloon release at the flat cap march, Rob?

I helped blow some balloons up but that was all my role was 😉

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2 hours ago, robf said:

I also remember Ian White, who was a big part of the Vale Mail email group in the days before forums.

He was always passionate and honest and for those reasons, his emails on the Vale made for essential reading.

He is sadly missed. There's been plenty of times when I wondered what his thoughts and actions about things like MOLD and Norman Smurthwaite would have been like. 

RIP Ian. 

 

Yeah. I was around for the Vale Mail email group. He always came across as sound. RIP.

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