Today is the third anniversary of the tragic death of Ulster player, Nevin Spence, his father Noel and his brother Graham, in a farming accident. Following his passing, then Ulster captain, Johann Muller, made a commitment that, as long as Ulster Rugby exists, the person and the player, Nevin Spence, will never be forgotten. As part of that pledge, a new education and heritage centre in the new Kingspan Stadium, has been named The Nevin Spence Centre . It was formally opened by the Sports Minister and the Spence family last month. Today, to mark the anniversary, we asked three supporters to share their own memories of Nevin and what he meant to Ulster fans. Here is what season ticket holders Dave Hodgins, Neil Rafferty and Ken Arthur wrote: Neil Rafferty I'm quite humbled to have been asked to help mark the third anniversary of the death of Nevin, his Father and Brother. I was asked to write about what Nevin meant as a player and to be honest I find that very hard. As a part time coach I know that I would have loved to have coached him. He was a young player who made me sit up and take notice - he was all youth and potential and pure hard aggression. I have a memory of him fending a Dragons player and running over him like a truck. Equally, "that" somersault in scoring against Bath. The funny thing is, that's not how I actually remember Nevin. I remember him this way. We were doing a cross-community sports event in the People's Park in Portadown and Nevin and his close friend Paddy McAllister were sent down to "do" the Ulster Rugby presence at the event. Now, when you've done these events before, you know the guys that are showing their face and the ones who "get" that to the kids they are a big deal. Nevin "got" it. Nevin went around coaching and encouraging and talking to every kid. As an old cynic I couldn't help but be caught up by his enthusiasm for what he was doing. It says something that I'd a series of photographs on my phone that were lost and the one of Nevin with that goofy smile beaming out surrounded by my youth team is the one I'm most annoyed about losing. A few weeks later, I parked my car before the Munster match and Nevin walked past and stopped to chat. He'd played that afternoon against Munster A and we talked about how he'd got on and how his shoulder had held up and how he'd be back next week or the week after. We shook hands and he went on his way. 24 hours later Nevin had died trying to save his brother and father. The thing is, I don't remember Nevin as a "player". I remember him as an exceptional young man who in some ways was extraordinary and in others so, so ordinary. I think the reason losing him still hurts so much is because his "ordinariness" made him one of us. Ordinary and Extraordinary all at the same time - an Ulsterman. Dave Hodgins As this is a personal reminiscence, firstly I want to say how honoured I feel to be asked to record my thoughts as we reach the third anniversary of the tragedy that befell Nevin, Ulster Rugby and most importantly of all, the entire Spence family. Unfortunately I never met Nevin, so my reminiscing is very much from a distance, purely a simple impression of him. When I think of him in anything more than a fleeting way, I remain irrationally moved emotionally, given I never so much as shook his hand. Tears are common and I'm happy to admit that, stories of personal bravery and loss will do that to me. I especially recall three things, other than his passing in that tragedy, of a family trying desperately, and from what we know, heroically to save each other, and the awful loss of Graham, Noel and Nevin. The first memory is of his try from halfway against the Dragons in Newport, surging onto a pass with pace and singlehandedly beating what seemed the entire Dragons backline with pace, skill and thran manic Ulster desire. The second was the try against Bath in the corner where without fear he ...
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Nevin Spence: Always with us
15th September 2015
Today is the third anniversary of the tragic death of Ulster player, Nevin Spence, his father Noel and his brother Graham, in a farming accident. Following his passing, then Ulster captain, Johann Muller, made a commitment that, as long as Ulster Rugby exists, the person and the player, Nevin Spence, will never be forgotten. As part of that pledge, a new education and heritage centre in the new Kingspan Stadium, has been named The Nevin Spence Centre . It was formally opened by the Sports Minister and the Spence family last month. Today, to mark the anniversary, we asked three supporters to share their own memories of Nevin and what he meant to Ulster fans. Here is what season ticket holders Dave Hodgins, Neil Rafferty and Ken Arthur wrote: Neil Rafferty I'm quite humbled to have been asked to help mark the third anniversary of the death of Nevin, his Father and Brother. I was asked to write about what Nevin meant as a player and to be honest I find that very hard. As a part time coach I know that I would have loved to have coached him. He was a young player who made me sit up and take notice - he was all youth and potential and pure hard aggression. I have a memory of him fending a Dragons player and running over him like a truck. Equally, "that" somersault in scoring against Bath. The funny thing is, that's not how I actually remember Nevin. I remember him this way. We were doing a cross-community sports event in the People's Park in Portadown and Nevin and his close friend Paddy McAllister were sent down to "do" the Ulster Rugby presence at the event. Now, when you've done these events before, you know the guys that are showing their face and the ones who "get" that to the kids they are a big deal. Nevin "got" it. Nevin went around coaching and encouraging and talking to every kid. As an old cynic I couldn't help but be caught up by his enthusiasm for what he was doing. It says something that I'd a series of photographs on my phone that were lost and the one of Nevin with that goofy smile beaming out surrounded by my youth team is the one I'm most annoyed about losing. A few weeks later, I parked my car before the Munster match and Nevin walked past and stopped to chat. He'd played that afternoon against Munster A and we talked about how he'd got on and how his shoulder had held up and how he'd be back next week or the week after. We shook hands and he went on his way. 24 hours later Nevin had died trying to save his brother and father. The thing is, I don't remember Nevin as a "player". I remember him as an exceptional young man who in some ways was extraordinary and in others so, so ordinary. I think the reason losing him still hurts so much is because his "ordinariness" made him one of us. Ordinary and Extraordinary all at the same time - an Ulsterman. Dave Hodgins As this is a personal reminiscence, firstly I want to say how honoured I feel to be asked to record my thoughts as we reach the third anniversary of the tragedy that befell Nevin, Ulster Rugby and most importantly of all, the entire Spence family. Unfortunately I never met Nevin, so my reminiscing is very much from a distance, purely a simple impression of him. When I think of him in anything more than a fleeting way, I remain irrationally moved emotionally, given I never so much as shook his hand. Tears are common and I'm happy to admit that, stories of personal bravery and loss will do that to me. I especially recall three things, other than his passing in that tragedy, of a family trying desperately, and from what we know, heroically to save each other, and the awful loss of Graham, Noel and Nevin. The first memory is of his try from halfway against the Dragons in Newport, surging onto a pass with pace and singlehandedly beating what seemed the entire Dragons backline with pace, skill and thran manic Ulster desire. The second was the try against Bath in the corner where without fear he ...