While our teams are bitter rivals on the pitch, Jonny and I shared common ground in our love of football. Before the coronavirus pandemic began, he noticed I was active on social media discussing fantasy football - and particularly the prospects of his team, Liverpool. Without prompt, he was only too keen to share his insights and messaged me a few tips. Fantasy football, in so many ways, seems utterly inconsequential right now. But for him to spend even a minute of his time offering his advice paints a picture of the type of guy he was; always looking out for others.
Jonny told me he followed a lot of local media across the country as he appreciated the style of reporting. I had personal experience of this in recent years as a journalist working on regional titles. Too often, I'd be drawn into discussions with negative commentators on our social media pages, defending our output amid a sea of ridiculous criticism. Presumably, Facebook algorithms highlighted this to folk on my friends list and every so often, I would see Jonny pop up as a 'voice of reason' to defend me. In a sea of negativity, it was always so nice to have a familiar face in my corner.
Indeed, local news was the last thing we spoke about, when he popped up in my messages late one night in April. Again, it was just nice to chat, but it was such a shame it was the last time.
From this Manchester United fan, I look forward to Liverpool lifting the title in the coming weeks - although he never got to see it, I think we both agreed it was inevitable...
Oli
10th June 2020