Patrick O'Flanagan

The WDFA has to sadly pass on the news that Patrick O'Flanagan died peacefully in his sleep during the night.
Patrick was a tremendous servant to Kingham FC, the WDFA and the OFA.
He worked tirelessly to help others get a game of football, whether it be young kids at Kingham, the men at the WDFA who he reffed for many seasons, or the over 35's for whom he was instrumental in the Veteran's Cup.

Our thoughts and best wishes go to his family and many friends.

All clubs will be asked to have either a minutes silence or a minutes applause at their game on Saturday.

Kingham FC have added this tribute on their Facebook page

It's with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a true Kingham All Blacks legend, Patrick O'Flanagan.

Patrick started his love affair with football when he joined his village football team, Kingham All Blacks. The more he played for the club, the more he fell in love with it. So much so that, not only did he want to play for them but he wanted to be part of the running of the club and joined the committee.

That still wasn't enough for Patrick, he wanted to do more for football and became a referee. He officiated games in the Witney and District league at both junior and senior level and despite his ruthless reputation, he was liked and respected by all.

Patrick pursued his love of football even further and climbed higher up the ladder. Not only was he a top referee, he also became a managed and the Chairman of Kingham All Blacks, a committee member of the Witney and District and also an Oxfordshire Football Association Councillor.

Patrick made many selfless acts, most recent of which was a few years ago when he donated £10,000 to Kingham to restore the tired club house. In his passing, we will be looking to name the building after him.

Up until very recently, Patrick was still an active member of Kingham All Blacks and could often been seen parked in his car on the touchline.
But after a long battle with illness, Patrick sadly passed away peacefully in his sleep last night.

Kingham All Blacks will be making a fitting tribute to someone who has shaped the club so much, by dedicating a memorial to him at the side of the pitch.

Patrick will be buried in the section of the Kingham church yard which overlooks the pitch. From there, he will be able to watch generations of players pull on a Kingham shirt and continue the legacy he helped to create.

If anyone has any photos or memories of Patrick, please share them in the comments below, we'd love to hear/see them.

Thank you Patrick, Rest In Peace.