Brian Dobson’s funeral
While we had been looking forward to our cruise things had been busy on the basketball front. The Trailblazers first team having won the first division was looking to add to its silverware by winning the playoffs in Manchester, home of the Magic coached for years by Jeff Jones and Brian Dobson. Derby, seeded one, had used their home advantage to good effect to dispose of Taunton, seeded eight, confirming their place in Manchester.
We had known for some time that Brian was very ill but it still had seemed strange to have been dealing with Freda Jones rather than him in the build up to the event. On the Saturday it was even stranger to arrive and not be met by Brian in his capacity of event coordinator and stranger yet, in due course, to see Jeff coaching alone.
In the first semi-final Derby disposed of Bristol with some comfort 79-65, most independent observers had expected this, it’s always harder for we fans to take success for granted. In the second match there was some smart money on London Mets to beat their hosts but Manchester were firmly in command throughout with a final score of 74-52. My fears were allayed in that losing to Magic was going to be tough if it happened but the thought of Mets dragging us into a scrappy game and emerging champions was more than I could face.
Julia managed to speak to Jeff Jones on Saturday and the news about Brian was not good, Jeff who had visited him every day in hospital felt that he was now slipping away fast but holding on to for the season to finish.
The following day, Sunday, Derby and Manchester played out a great final but Magic emerged as winners 81-72. It was justice for Jeff and his team to win something this season as they had lost in two finals and been runner-ups to Derby in the league. We also knew that emotionally the Magic had won it for Brian who did pass away that night.
Brian’s funeral was organised for the Wednesday before we started our cruise with a flight to Crete early on the Thursday morning.
We travelled in Sarah’s car to Manchester with her and Joel and our entire luggage as we would not return to Hilton until after the cruise. The funeral was well-attended and went as well as those things can, I felt that the vicar suffered from not knowing Brian but I suppose that will often be the case.
Many tributes were given and I added to the Derby Trailblazer’s website this:
Whenever I think of Brian, and I have done often since knowing he was dying, I remember his quiet thoughtful nature and his ability to temper Jeff's outbursts. He always had time for people and he seemed to remember something about everyone making him extremely easy to talk to, his "minder" function with Jeff tended to mask his own deep knowledge of the game and he had a supportive but wise opinion of everything we were attempting to build in Derby. I know it would have given him and Jeff great pleasure to beat Leeds giving us the chance to claim the title and I can honestly say that losing to Manchester in the playoff final felt more acceptable if it meant something to Brian in his last hours. It was typical that he managed to see out the season and it was also exactly what Jeff predicted!!!
Of all the coaches who regularly turn up at Moorways, Brian was the most friendly opposition face and playing Magic will never feel quite the same again.We left the wake, which was at the same hotel as the players had used between their semi and final, quite early and when we dropped Joel off at his home Julia and I were able to get changed out of our formal clothes so that Sarah could take them home after dropping us at the Ibis Hotel on Birmingham Airport.
Although we didn’t recognise it at the time our room in the hotel was very similar to the cabin we were to occupy on Ocean Village.
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