From Little O

Dear Max,

I’m feeling a wee bit nervous. It’s the Cup next week, and I’m getting that wobbly feeling in my legs again. Believe me, mate: it’s not a skill I’m perfecting.

I remember the way you used to play; floppy boned and agile, padding over the ball catlike with those Sunny Delight-sponsored Mizunos. Velcrofoot was not an exaggeration. I remember you rising for balls, and using that extra inch and lash of curls to lift or crush a team in an instant. Or dusting yourself off mildly annoyed when the opposition turned to frustrated ankle kicks in order to stop the rampage. But that just fired you up to dubs them even harder next time round, didn’t it? Would they taste the nutmeg? Be dummified by a shoulder drop? Outpaced on the straight? Nobody knew what was in store, but it was normally all three when I was on the receiving end. Though I seriously doubt there’s anyone who hasn’t been touched by this trinity at some point. And as we can all remember, it was distinctly more painful than returned kick up the arse.

But let’s not give you a big head to go with that statuesque Roman nose, now, because it wasn’t just you who could do stuff like that, if we’re honest. But you were definitely the only one who could make it look like they were drunk-in-charge-of-a-football. A cunning device that foxed almost all ball-kicking park life, by giving off the appearance that you were stumbling around the pitch a bit tipsy; a drunken master ploughing through lunging tackles (not to mention freaked out families on picnic blankets) with a Mitre firmly stuck to your toe⎯what an image! They say brilliance is always in bed with madness, my boy, and that will be visual proof in my mind forever.

To me, it seemed like your skills were a complete (and often envy inducing) expression of your natural character, played out with as much endless energy as everything else in your life. Don’t get me wrong, mate; I’m not calling you a park pisshead with superior ball control, I just believe that clever, passionate and flowing football⎯the kind that us boys have continued to play throughout the years⎯will always be a true reflection of our personalities. And yeah, I still run through life (and across the wings) like a headless chicken.

So with that in mind, I continue to miss your honesty, excitability, quick thinking, passion, mock stupidity, perseverance, awareness, cool and loud mouth shouting: “Yesss O!”s, on and off the pitch, and really, truly wish that you were still playing around on both. But you know, as much as I do, Max, that all the boys share that double life now and will continue to keep each one as tight and enjoyable as we can until we take up gardening. And even though there’ll be a few tough teams on the park next Saturday (giving me more than enough reason to be crapping myself silly right now) it’s your alter ego, Monsieur Velcrofoot, that will set the standard at kick off, and that will always be the hardest thing to beat.

Cheers for the skills, Max!

Little O
(Owain)

Hampstead School Celebration Evening

On Thursday 12 July we went to the first ever Hampstead School Celebration Evening, at which the first Max O'Connell Award for Excellence and Improvement in Languages was awarded. The school was very much smarter than in our day, with an imposing new entrance hall, a great improvement. The dress code for the evening was smart, and just about everyone had made an effort, and there was a friendly and expectant atmosphere. There were awards for improvement and excellence in all subjects and activities. Many of the awards were for sport - lots of sports are now played at the school, including cricket and rugby (gosh!).

Introducing the Max O'Connell award, Ms Smith, Head of the Sixth Form, spoke about Max with warmth and humour. Although it is six years since he left she remembered him clearly and her descriptions of him and his way of being in the school caught him well. It was very moving to see the award presented to Finn Marr-Heenan, and he seemed very pleased to have won it, and the first one at that. We spoke to him afterwards and found that he did in fact know something of Max through mutual family friends.

It was also good to learn that the money contributed Max O'Connell Ski Trip Fund was used to help seven students to go on the school's Ski Trip, some of them for the first time.

Victoria

Max O'Connell Cup 2007

The Max O'Connell Cup will be held on Saturday the 4th of August from 12 to 5pm. It will be taking place at the Linford Christie sports complex, off Du Cane Road next to Wormwood Scrubs Hospital (will post a map nearer the time).

There will be ten teams,knock out tournament with prizes; if there is anyone who would really like to enter a team please let us know as soon as possible (contact Dash at dashlilley@hotmail.com).

There will be food and drinks
The more support the better, so please come and join us for what should be a great day.

Max's Graduation, from Victoria

Max's Graduation day was for us a proud occasion, but inevitably also a sad one. While it was a pleasure to see so many happy successful young people for whom this ceremony marked a transition to the next phase of their lives, it is so sad that for Max there is only a future unexplored, a promise unfulfilled. Despite this sadness we are very pleased that we came.

We were very moved by the applause of Max's fellow students as Rachel accepted his degree on his behalf, and touched that they dedicated their Yearbook to him. We wish them all well with whatever life brings them.

As ever, the university staff made things as easy for us as possible. We are so grateful to them for all the kindness and sensitivity they have shown us since Max's death, and for the way in which his memory is being kept alive within the University, with the Year Abroad Essay Prize and the tree dedicated to him outside the Language School.

In her address to the graduates Prof. Ella Ritchie reminded us that since Max died there had been two other deaths in the department, another student in December, then Dr Vanessa Knights in March. Dr Knights knew Max and spoke at his memorial event - she was such a lively and impressive person. We can only hope that next year will be a happier one for the department.

With very best wishes, Victoria

Max's graduation

On Tuesday 10 July, Max was awarded a posthumous degree at Newcastle University. As his tutor, I was there at the ceremony to see his sister Rachel accept the degree on his behalf, while his parents watched.

Over a hundred students were awarded their degree at that ceremony, but Max received the longest round of applause. I think everybody found this a moving moment - pleasure in recognising Max's achievements, sorrow that he did not live to do more and fufil his potential. Ourselves the staff at Newcastle found it an emotional moment, and I myself had tears in my eyes as I applauded him and his family. Those tears reappeared later on when I went back to the School Office after the ceremony and saw the yearbook of the graduating students - dedicated to Max's memory. I was pleased for him but also pleased that our students valued him so much and took time to remember him.

Max's memory lives on in the Max O'Connell prize set up by his family for students who write the most interesting piece on their Year Abroad. But we the staff still remember him with much fondness.

Ann Davies

Dr. Ann Davies
Lecturer in Spanish
Degree Programme Director, T900 Modern Languages
Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies
School of Modern Languages
Old Library
Newcastle University
Newcastle NE1 7RU
Tel: 0191 222 7476
Fax: 0191 222 5442