Sad News - John Hoverd RIP

[joker67]

Such sad news.Shall miss our chats.
RIP John.

[Iris Murdoch]

John supported Dartford football club avidly for over 75 years. He passed away during half time in the Ellenor Hospice as Dartford were beating Maidstone to stay top of the league table - that's how he would have wanted it. He enriched and indeed enhanced my watching and supporting Dartford in his own inimitable style and I shall miss my friend.

[Charlieboy]

John was very generous to many people and especially the club, so hopefully the they will be able to do something to remember him.

[babylon]

Great character we had quite a few differences of opinion over the years but it was all in good spirit.
Huge DFC man an he will be sadly missed .RIP John.

[Wilkie]

I used to go to school with John , so I've known a long time, we always had a chat and if I wanted to know if the Ladies or the boys teams were playing he always knew, I used to kid if he should stop talking and watched the game more, I won't mention his reply's, He was one hell of a supporter, He had a ten year season ticket, which run out at the end of this season. Another one of my old friend gone to heaven, Bye mate, Rest in peace.

[LA Dart]

Totally agree with the comments here about John. I remember him years ago with a buddy who I used to call 'Chas & Dave' because they certainly liked a bit of 'rabbit', sadly the other guy passed a few years back but John was such a character. Last I saw him was at Chatham a good few months back, he put me onto a friendly game down there, best wishes to his family and friends...RIP John.

[minty]

I saw John a few months ago in Sainsburys Crayford, just before the Slough play off game. He saw me and came straight over for a chat and boy could he talk. I will always remember him at Cambridge when we went up there and won. He was banging on the corrugated sheeting at the back of the stand with the rest of us as we celebrated the win.
He was a human encyclopaedia of Dartford and he could talk the hind legs off a donkey. For me, he'll always be Mr Dartford, such a character and genuinely nice person. Will be greatly missed. RIP John.

[Lincoln exile]

The news came as a shock, although I knew that John had been unwell for a long time. Indeed, on the last two occasions we met we were on the bus, with John going to Darent Valley for outpatient appointments.

I first really became aware of John when we were playing at Stonebridge Road, but our paths must have crossed between 1961, when I became a Dartford fan, and the closure of the old ground over thirty years later.

At one stage I used to watch the Academy teams on Wednesday when I was in Kent and would have long chats with John. When we were at first team games John would always stop to speak as he passed my seat on the way to his vantage point on the opposite side of the ground.

One particular Academy match sticks in my mind. We had arrived at Princes Park, only to discover that the opposition had got the kick-off time wrong and were only just leaving on their coach. Instead of giving up and going home we decided to go for a walk, setting off down Park Road, then along London Road and through Stone Recreation Ground. After a quick visit to Stone Cemetery to see the graves of some family members and friends, we returned to Princes Park via the site of the old ground. That was certainly the longest conversation we had!

RIP, John.

[The 5th Searcher]

John was nice guy whole always had time for a chat and must have known nearly everything there was to know about DFC.
Nearly every time you spoke to him he’d always get his book of stats out of his pocket but DFC ran through his veins.
People didn’t always agree with his views on things DFC but he’d always listen to what you had to say.

RIP John

[Aprouddart]

Sad Sad news. John was a great guy, yes he did take moaning to Olympic standards but I always enjoyed any
chats we had. I also remember him getting out his book of stats to reinforce his moan. I always recall
a 'Life of Brian' type of conversation we had once about Brendon Cass, John was moaning that Cass was slow and
said even he could run faster, I pointed out that Cass had scored something like 28 goals that season but John
replied, Yes but apart from the goals what else has he ever done. Classic. RIP John