Christian Bird

RyanioBirdio

RyanioBirdio

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1 May 2018
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After fighting with immense strength and bravery for longer than I care to imagine, last Thursday my brother Chris finally lost his battle with leukaemia. He passed away in our parents’ home with his family present, aged 46.

Chris became an Oxford fan after my family moved to Kidlington from Ayrshire in 1984, just in time to enjoy the club’s most successful period. He and my dad were at Wembley in 1986 alongside so many others, and in 1993 he would take me to my first game at The Manor, after I threatened to do a wee on the carpet if I didn’t get to go with him. A tactic I continue to utilise in my business life to this day.

A regular on the London Road (left side) until the move away in 2001, he reconnected with the club after I began working in the media department and became a season ticket holder once more in the dark days of the Conference, along with our brother Nick. Chris was a regular attendee of away games in more recent years, particularly enjoying any trip remotely near the north west as it gave him an excuse to push for an overnighter in Lytham St Anne’s, home to his childhood best friend and OUFC exile, Dave.

Due to Covid and the timing of his subsequent diagnosis, coupled with his bitterly long and gruelling treatment, he witnessed what would be his final Oxford game in January of 2020, alongside both Nick and myself, away to Newcastle.

He will be missed.
 
My condolences and best wishes to you and your whole family, that's no age at all. Do you have a photo of your brother you can post, being a former left-sider myself he may well be a face I recognise.
 
RyanioBirdio said:
After fighting with immense strength and bravery for longer than I care to imagine, last Thursday my brother Chris finally lost his battle with leukaemia. He passed away in our parents’ home with his family present, aged 46.

Chris became an Oxford fan after my family moved to Kidlington from Ayrshire in 1984, just in time to enjoy the club’s most successful period. He and my dad were at Wembley in 1986 alongside so many others, and in 1993 he would take me to my first game at The Manor, after I threatened to do a wee on the carpet if I didn’t get to go with him. A tactic I continue to utilise in my business life to this day.

A regular on the London Road (left side) until the move away in 2001, he reconnected with the club after I began working in the media department and became a season ticket holder once more in the dark days of the Conference, along with our brother Nick. Chris was a regular attendee of away games in more recent years, particularly enjoying any trip remotely near the north west as it gave him an excuse to push for an overnighter in Lytham St Anne’s, home to his childhood best friend and OUFC exile, Dave.

Due to Covid and the timing of his subsequent diagnosis, coupled with his bitterly long and gruelling treatment, he witnessed what would be his final Oxford game in January of 2020, alongside both Nick and myself, away to Newcastle.

He will be missed.
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Sorry to hear of your loss, take care.
 
Sorry for your loss, thoughts are with you all.

Don’t think of him as gone away
his journey’s just begun,
life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.
Just think of him as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.

RIP Christian.
 
So sorry to hear that Ryan, and deepest condolences.

We muck about a lot on here, none more than you, so I hope, in time, you can find some happiness in your heart again, and we see the old Ryan posting about his love for Josh Ruffels and DeVito's night club.

Until then, mate, look after yourself, and know that plenty of us are here for you if you need us.

RIP Chris.
 
Colin B said:
So sorry to hear that Ryan, and deepest condolences.

We muck about a lot on here, none more than you, so I hope, in time, you can find some happiness in your heart again, and we see the old Ryan posting about his love for Josh Ruffels and DeVito's night club.

Until then, mate, look after yourself, and know that plenty of us are here for you if you need us.

RIP Chris.
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Thank you Colin. It won’t be the same without my brother raising an eyebrow or hiding his face with embarrassment every time I see him, because he’s concerned about my mental state based on my most recent posts about players I fancy, pretending to be a North Korean dictator, or any number of totally insane thoughts I’ve decided to spew into the public domain. Just you wait until I’m next in DeVito’s. I’ll be positively Gove-esque!

And thank you also to everybody who has left kind words and well wishes thus far. Yes, even my beloved egg…
 
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