Uncle Ray I will miss you so so much. Not only have you been my uncle, but you’ve been a true friend for the last 30 years. I feel so lucky to have spent the time we have together and shared a passion for the mighty Blues. It was supposed to be about the football, but silliness has been the continued theme. If only we’d got you that Spot The Dog outfit for the 1998 league cup final! Thank you for being my managerial role model. I always valued your opinion and integrity and can’t forget your sterling performances as Deportivo Ranelagh’s linesman, with our entire back 4 frequently appealing for offside by shouting “Uncle Ray!”. You were the people’s uncle. It was a special moment to share a pitch with you against the Chelsea legends at Cobham a few years later. Paul being hauled off to make way for his 62 year old father was particularly entertaining - I thought you had Clive Walker in your pocket...... Football was also an excuse for holidays. I lose track of the amount of European cities we’ve visited, how many open top bus rides we’ve been on, how many miles we’ve walked, and how much salted cod we’ve eaten. Munich, Porto, Barcelona, Stockholm, Lisbon, Valencia, Turin, Amsterdam, Paris, Moscow......god, we’ve gone a long way in search of the perfect restaurant. Thank-you for giving me my first ever Chelsea shirt - a prize possession. Thank-you for showing us all you have the moves like Jagger. Thank-you for your stellar performance on my stag do. Thank-you for the train rides to the Bridge and the pub conversation afterwards. Thank-you for not holding a grudge when I tied Paul to the car in 1988. Thank-you for defending Pedro Rodriguez, however poor he’d played. But thank you most of all for making me - and so many people around you - so happy so much of the time.