14/11/2022
Jim, from Hylton Castle in Sunderland, is my
best mate who died after 2 years of cancer this afternoon.
He was a passionate anti-fascist and
anti-militarist whose life changed when he was left sickened by his involvement
as a British squaddie on 2 tours of Belfast in 70s. He went AWOL and got sent
to a detention camp in Colchester for 6 months and dishonourably discharged.
He was a very bright lad and his dad was a
miner. He'd got 3A Levels, all at grade A, and was accepted after the Army
period at Durham Uni and he got a first in RE. He was a teacher for most of the
rest of his life.
He was a NUT rep in West London for many
years.
When he returned to Sunderland he helped
leaflet lots of estates with Sunderland Fans Against Racism leaflets. It was
tricky at times.
When the club appointed Di Canio, a fascist,
as manager, he and I (and one or two brave others) urged fans to cancel season
cards and when club agreed to return monies, we'd paid for our season ticket
for following season, Sky Sports agreed to film the cheques as we collected
them.
Sadly, I got delayed and missed this. I urged
him not to do it alone. He did, he got a torrent of abuse including death
threats. The cops said he and Iris, his wife, should leave town. He refused
and, in fact, got no further shit, partly because he was ex military. He did
loads of work with refugees and asylum seekers.
One of the ironies is he's died on Remembrance
Sunday, which he always wore a white poppy on. At Sunderland matches he'd
remain sat down and nobody challenged him when he said he was ex military. I
will miss him very badly.
Mark Metcalf
