The Bootiful Game Issue 2 The Bootiful Game Issue 2 | Page 27

“He also made a donation. The
letter and donation knocked us
for six, but it shows just how
much the club meant to Ralph.
Even when he was seriously ill,
the club was still in his
thoughts.”
“He said in the letter that being
ill and having to miss matches
had made him realise just how
much the club meant to him
and how important it was to his
life.”
Ralph’s passing shocked the
Garforth community as he was
a well-known figure. Over 100
people attended his funeral at
St. Mary’s Church.
He had a big background in
football and he played for many
local teams in his younger
days. His support of Garforth
Town went back a few decades
and he was an avid follower. He
watched home and away
matches – unless he was in
Wales visiting relatives.
“Ralph was the perfect
supporter,” Close says.
“Even when he could be
negative, he wasn’t. He was
always positive and always
supportive of anything the club
did.”
“He would turn up for matches,
events, anything related to the
club. He would even help me
put the kit out at away
matches. When he passed
away, it was a massive shock
and it has taken the club a long
time to get over it.”
“His passing came at a time
when the club had hit rock
bottom. Results had
deteriorated because of well-
publicised events and we were
really struggling.”
“How we finished the season
epitomised everything Ralph
was about though. Although we
did not always get the results
we wanted, every player gave
over 100% in every single
game.
“Ralph won’t be forgotten and
the player who gets the most
man of the match awards in a
season will win the Ralph
Backhouse award. Jassim Alali
won it at the end of last season