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Horrible horrible news
Guys, have just received an sms from both Denise from the Melbourne CS and Cathy from up here. Awful awful news, I'm afraid.
It is my sad duty to forward on the message that Russell, yes the guy with the Swan on a stick in the Cheer Squad , passed away in Melbourne en route home from the match in Geelong.
I've only received this info in the last 30 minutes so am unsure as to where it happened. All I know is that he had a major heart attack and died in Melbourne after the match. His flatmate was only informed this morning, so it is all very sudden. Considering he was at Cher's place at the party happily making friends with Dermie the West Highland Terrier, it is all very sudden and very upsetting.
It was clear to see than over the last year or so Russell's health had been deteriorating very very quickly. From the once feisty lucid barracker Russell became morre slurred in his speech. I heard he had suffered from the after-effects of a stroke. He apparently had had heart troubles in the past as well, but not that you'd know it; he never let on at all. Even this year he has travelled to pretty much every away game, including the Port game in Adelaide, and of course Sunday's game in Geelong. Of course the now-famous Swan on a stick would accompany him everywhere he went.
Russell was definitely a character. He would bring his red and white teddy bear on its own seat and sit it in the front row behind the goals. When we kicked a goal he would throw it in the air and catch it. At one game against Richmond I think we had 15 people throwing bears up in the air after Swans goals.
Back in the old days during our losing streak he refused to shave his beard until we won a game. So by the time we beat Melbourne after 27 straight losses he was resembling a mixture between Santa Claus and a mammoth. In the 1996 finals he died his beard completely red. He even looked more like Santa then. In summation Russell and his Swan on a stick was an SCG institution. Hope he will be given the respect he deserves when we play Brisbane in a couple of weeks. Black armbands for everyone in the Cheer Squad for sure!
I see my football club as family. Hence I am mourning Russell's death quite keenly. I have shed tears this morning. I know I'm not the only one. We are developing a sense of club unity with this club these days (in spite the soulless marketing types who tend to still be in the majority on Drive Ave). That was shown at Cher's place on Saturday night. And at Geelong on Sunday where everyone who wanted to get into the Cheer Squad area managed to get, thanks to the kindness of others in giving spare membership or tickets to get everyone from the party in so we could be together.
Russell probably would have been proud to have passed away doing what we has done best in his life, supporting the Swans interstate. It is just tragic that we couldn't bring him a Premiership.
Hopefully the club can cone to the party in tribute to a go who despite ill health gave everything to support his team. Even those it was obvious that his health was deteriorating, he will be missed. He was a character and an SCG institution. Hopefully we can get his Swan on a stick back and keep it somewhere as a tribute to a man who gave everything for his footy club.
JF
It is my sad duty to forward on the message that Russell, yes the guy with the Swan on a stick in the Cheer Squad , passed away in Melbourne en route home from the match in Geelong.
I've only received this info in the last 30 minutes so am unsure as to where it happened. All I know is that he had a major heart attack and died in Melbourne after the match. His flatmate was only informed this morning, so it is all very sudden. Considering he was at Cher's place at the party happily making friends with Dermie the West Highland Terrier, it is all very sudden and very upsetting.
It was clear to see than over the last year or so Russell's health had been deteriorating very very quickly. From the once feisty lucid barracker Russell became morre slurred in his speech. I heard he had suffered from the after-effects of a stroke. He apparently had had heart troubles in the past as well, but not that you'd know it; he never let on at all. Even this year he has travelled to pretty much every away game, including the Port game in Adelaide, and of course Sunday's game in Geelong. Of course the now-famous Swan on a stick would accompany him everywhere he went.
Russell was definitely a character. He would bring his red and white teddy bear on its own seat and sit it in the front row behind the goals. When we kicked a goal he would throw it in the air and catch it. At one game against Richmond I think we had 15 people throwing bears up in the air after Swans goals.
Back in the old days during our losing streak he refused to shave his beard until we won a game. So by the time we beat Melbourne after 27 straight losses he was resembling a mixture between Santa Claus and a mammoth. In the 1996 finals he died his beard completely red. He even looked more like Santa then. In summation Russell and his Swan on a stick was an SCG institution. Hope he will be given the respect he deserves when we play Brisbane in a couple of weeks. Black armbands for everyone in the Cheer Squad for sure!
I see my football club as family. Hence I am mourning Russell's death quite keenly. I have shed tears this morning. I know I'm not the only one. We are developing a sense of club unity with this club these days (in spite the soulless marketing types who tend to still be in the majority on Drive Ave). That was shown at Cher's place on Saturday night. And at Geelong on Sunday where everyone who wanted to get into the Cheer Squad area managed to get, thanks to the kindness of others in giving spare membership or tickets to get everyone from the party in so we could be together.
Russell probably would have been proud to have passed away doing what we has done best in his life, supporting the Swans interstate. It is just tragic that we couldn't bring him a Premiership.
Hopefully the club can cone to the party in tribute to a go who despite ill health gave everything to support his team. Even those it was obvious that his health was deteriorating, he will be missed. He was a character and an SCG institution. Hopefully we can get his Swan on a stick back and keep it somewhere as a tribute to a man who gave everything for his footy club.
JF
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