One minute’s applause on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th March to celebrate the life of YEL legend Maurice Simpson.
As some of you may have seen on Facebook, we lost an absolute legend of grassroots football in in the early hours of Thursday morning 27th February. Maurice Simpson was huge in terms of stature and presence. I have been privileged to have known him for the past five years although his involvement in the YEL and local adult football stretches way back over 50 years. He was a stickler for the rules who was very black and white with everything to do with the league which made him an ideal candidate as part of our Discipline Team. As a referee he was very well respected and amazingly continued to officiate well into his late 70s.
He was our Vice President and an integral part of the league attending Presentation Days as well as our Cup Finals where he was an unofficial ‘fourth official’ making sure managers continued to Respect the beautiful game with his ever present humour. He was a ‘gentle giant’ that you would be well advised to keep on the right side of! (It was no accident that he was a forces national boxing champion!), but the most important thing which will be his lasting legacy was that he was a friend to everyone – referees young and old, managers, players, YEL staff and Board members – he always had time for anyone who wanted to chat about football – and an unbelievably strong handshake which could make even the strongest person buckle at the knees!
We would like to ask that every team shows their respects by celebrating the life of Maurice this weekend by holding a ONE MINUTE ROUND OF APPLAUSE prior to YEL Matches. Please also share your photos of the applause with the league as we want to show his family just how much we thought of him and how much he will be missed. Either post the pictures on the YEL Facebook page post in memory of Maurice or email them into the office.