 | Kevin Fitzgerald, who passed away on Tuesday 2 May 2023 after a battle with cancer, was a good man who made a difference. He was a member of the THST Board from 2015-2022 and he was hugely valued by everyone he worked with. |
Kev was an active participant in all Trust business, but his greatest achievement was the establishment and continued success of the Cycle On You Spurs charity bike ride. He started it in 2016 after attending An Evening with Martin Jol in 2015, and embraced the message of the campaign about fundraising for Prostate Cancer UK and promoting awareness of the disease.
Teams from clubs through the country took part in the charity bike ride from London to Amsterdam every year, and Kev ensured the THST team was always one of the biggest. Between 2016 and 2022, the THST team under Kev’s leadership raised over £170,000, with over 100 riders taking part. Kev was a much-loved team leader, and was instrumental in establishing the success of the annual fundraising BBQ the Trust ran to support the charity.
Kev, who was born in 1946, was a person who believed in standing up and making a difference. And he achieved that rare thing of being able to do so while remaining on good terms with everyone. So many people have said the words “he was such a lovely man” on hearing the news of his death.
A lifelong socialist, Kev served on the national executive of the lecturers’ union NATFHE for a number of years. He played a key role in defending students when the National Front turned up at the Polytechnic of North London in the 1980s. He was threatened with prison for refusing to provide the names of student anti-fascist organisers, but the case was kicked out with hours to spare before Kev was due at White Hart Lane to watch Spurs in the UEFA Cup. He made the match.
Kev was also committed to the idea that football fans should have a voice. He was a member of the Tottenham Independent Supporters Association, one of the Trust’s forerunner organisations, a founder member of the Trust and a willing and capable board member. He made many friends along the way as he worked at club and community level. A keen cyclist, he constantly pushed for better provision at the stadium and saw community work as a priority.
Kev was always great company, always with a story, always a snappy dresser, and there was always laughter. Typical of encounters with Kev was the time when, nursing a drink during a week in which President Trump had been ramping up international tensions, he leaned over and said: “I have this recurring dream that just as the final whistle is about to go on the day we manage to win the league, Trump presses the button. That would be just our luck”.
Kev’s kindness shone through all he did. He always had time for people and always saw the best in them. It was an enormous privilege to have known him and worked with him, and all of us who did will make sure he is always remembered.
Our condolences go to his wife, Moira, children Joe and Esther and all of his family and friends.
THST Board
3 May 2023
Teams from clubs through the country took part in the charity bike ride from London to Amsterdam every year, and Kev ensured the THST team was always one of the biggest. Between 2016 and 2022, the THST team under Kev’s leadership raised over £170,000, with over 100 riders taking part. Kev was a much-loved team leader, and was instrumental in establishing the success of the annual fundraising BBQ the Trust ran to support the charity.
Kev, who was born in 1946, was a person who believed in standing up and making a difference. And he achieved that rare thing of being able to do so while remaining on good terms with everyone. So many people have said the words “he was such a lovely man” on hearing the news of his death.
A lifelong socialist, Kev served on the national executive of the lecturers’ union NATFHE for a number of years. He played a key role in defending students when the National Front turned up at the Polytechnic of North London in the 1980s. He was threatened with prison for refusing to provide the names of student anti-fascist organisers, but the case was kicked out with hours to spare before Kev was due at White Hart Lane to watch Spurs in the UEFA Cup. He made the match.
Kev was also committed to the idea that football fans should have a voice. He was a member of the Tottenham Independent Supporters Association, one of the Trust’s forerunner organisations, a founder member of the Trust and a willing and capable board member. He made many friends along the way as he worked at club and community level. A keen cyclist, he constantly pushed for better provision at the stadium and saw community work as a priority.
Kev was always great company, always with a story, always a snappy dresser, and there was always laughter. Typical of encounters with Kev was the time when, nursing a drink during a week in which President Trump had been ramping up international tensions, he leaned over and said: “I have this recurring dream that just as the final whistle is about to go on the day we manage to win the league, Trump presses the button. That would be just our luck”.
Kev’s kindness shone through all he did. He always had time for people and always saw the best in them. It was an enormous privilege to have known him and worked with him, and all of us who did will make sure he is always remembered.
Our condolences go to his wife, Moira, children Joe and Esther and all of his family and friends.
THST Board
3 May 2023
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