Max, The Lizard, Maximus, Gluteus Maximus, Thierry O’Connell:
In Newcastle, Max played in the world famous Henderson Hall FC from 2002 - 2005. I was in the year above Max and had, therefore, played with Charlie Green (our manager and goalie) and Chris (Gruff) the year before he arrived. Unfortunately, I had not been able to assist my learned colleagues in conducting the trials for the “new batch” of Hendersonites but had to trust that they would find some decent players. I was in for a big surprise. I had the pleasure of witnessing a special goal from Maximus (one of so many) against the University Reserves (bitter rivals/cry-offs) a week or so later. “Who’s the lanky fella upfront?”, I mumbled, just before the exquisite lob, effortlessly executed, left the goal keeper thinking he should’ve stayed in bed that day - one of those shots that that you watch in the air for half an hour before gravity takes over and guides it perfectly down the into the goal rippling the net on its way.. That was the moment I (and I presume, the rest of the team) began my affiliation with Max and his curls! I gave his curly head so much attention as my own mum used to say to me, “Don’t get your hair cut son, I like them and so will the girls” - like my football, however, my curls were nothing compared to Max’s….partly to do with the fact that mine were ginger, but mainly because he had so many more. So, Max got his curls stroked by me and the lads every time he scored. I’m very surprised he wasn’t bald by the end of the two seasons I had the pleasure of playing with him! He was our very own Thierry Henry, and when he wasn’t playing it had an adverse effect on all our games (I did try in vain on a few occasions to copy some of his moves on my own, but fell over myself most of the time).
As Max became blatantly the best player in our squad (a collection of very good players it has to be said), he began to show more of his character and the Max we all came to admire so much had arrived. Football, for me anyway, had become not just a day to work off the cigarettes, it had become a whole day event (in many cases this meant ‘the night before, then all day before and then all day and night after kick off’) twice weekly. Most of my own pals had left me to go abroad as they too were language students like Max, so I was a little isolated compared to previous years. This is one of the reasons I will always remember Max. He was a massive part of my university experience. Max’s abode was a bit of a mad house that resonated ‘party’, so with Max and the rest of the crew he lived with there, it was a perfect set up. It was the party house in the whole of Jesmond. It wasn’t just a party house, however, and Max and the others were happy to make you feel welcome whenever you visited, whether it be for a kick about in the street, or to watch countless episodes of 24, or just to chill out. I must say, we chilled out a lot, and this is what I preferred. Max always had time to sit and talk about loads of mad stuff. He was a philosopher which I admired, and thus conversations were always very topical. He was a good listener as well and always paid great attention to your opinions - when he could decipher the scouse prattle that is - before he contributed with his own. You could always guarantee as well that Max would still be there at the end of the night after a party or whatever when everyone else had gone home or to bed. One of the most frequent one-to-one conversations I used to have with him (purposely trying my best to drum it home to him) was basically me asking him, “Why on Earth are you not playing professional football mate??!”, to which Max would always reply with genuine modesty, “D’ya really think I’m good enough, Scouse??”, to which I’d reply, “Are you taking the piss mate?!!”…….although - having played against his boys in Kentish Town the day after Max’s funeral - I have to say, I’m not a bit surprised he had ridiculously high standards!
A memory of Max I hold dear to me was one Christmas when he was in his house in Newcastle on his own (bar Mikey). I just so happened to be in the same boat as Max that holiday and was also alone in my own gaff. Max was strapped for cash at that moment and I too was waiting for some student loan to clear in my account. Max, being his lovably spontaneous self, exclaimed, “Scouse! If my credit card clears today, I’ll lend you some money and [NOT, ‘do you want to go out?’] we’re going out tonight!”, which it did, which he did, which we did! Although I wasn’t Max’ bestest mate in the whole world, I had absolutely no misgivings about going out on the toon with him, nor he with me. I felt like I’d known Max for such a long time and although it was just me and him, it would be a top top night. I did, although I think I recall him pulling a really big girl……at least he pulled though!
Even at the end of my time at Newcastle, Max still found the time (and James also) to invite me to London “….whenever you want….you can stay at mine…”, which I deeply regret to this very day as I virtually hadn’t seen of my mates from Uni after I left, until Max’ funeral - this amounts to two years! This angers me greatly, and I have now vowed to change my aloof existence post-Uni. The fact that Max had such an impact on mine and everybody’s lives whether team mate, best mate, or uni-lecturer, to name only a few categories, is testament to his massive character. I can only imagine for the people who knew and loved him for many many more years than I did, what an unbelievably enormous loss it will be for them and my deepest sympathies and thoughts are forever with you all. I expected nothing less from the funeral and, from the stories I listened to from his friends and family (not to mention the endless entries on his blog), I came to the conclusion that Max, even in his painfully short life, had achieved so much and was already a huge success. I have to say that Max was a giant in so many ways and if in the two years I knew him I saw further, it is because I stood on the shoulders of a giant! Max, I will remember you whenever I play football, and for the rest of my life. In life but also, tragically, in death, the biggest lesson of all which you have taught me is that life should be lived to the fullest no matter who you are or where you’re from. Without grudges, it should be lived with a smile on your face and a swagger of confidence and warmth which you so evidently had in frightening abundance. God bless you mate and all your loved ones, and thank you for being you in the two years I had the absolute pleasure of knowing you! I’m sure I will see you one day again bruv, but until then you will be sorely missed by everyone you knew, including the Henderson boys!
From: Michael Casey - or as Max sometimes preferred (in a cockney accent), “Oi, Scouser!”, “Scouse!”, “Mic!”
[I wrote the above the day after Max funeral and have been dithering since then looking for the statistics that Max, James, and Eddie produced after my final season in Newcastle playing football. Due to a house move things have been in the air a bit but I know I have then somewhere and will post them as soon as I find them. I can tell everybody now though that Max was top of the goal scoring lists and man-of-the-match lists for both Saturday and Wednesday leagues]
