TRIBUTES FLOOD IN FOR JUNIOR COACHING STALWART
PAT BYRNE, a coach from Wellingborough and District Nene AC, died recently, and he’ll be sorely missed.
The first time I met Pat he was sat next to me at Mill Cotton in Ringstead about 10 years ago and he came and suggested I changed my set-up. It’s just how he was. ABC was his ethos – Always Be Coaching.
Little did I know that we would go on to be one of the busiest coaching teams in the country. We took over the WDNAC Juniors in 2016 with around 25 kids who occasionally fished – at the end of 2021 we had 350 children on our books. It’s testament to how he was regarded that when I made the announcement on Facebook over 5,000 people responded to his passing. With many wanting to mark his passing, a fund for a bench for him was started by the parents of the children we coach. You can contribute on Paypal through bryandray@hotmail.com
It won’t be the same without his irrepressible spirit, but I’ll strive to honour his memory by continuing to make fishing fun first and foremost...and if you listen very carefully while on the bank you’ll hear his voice saying “come on the fishes”.
Bryan Dray, Wellingborough and District Nene AC THERE are times when life’s challenges make you think, and this is just one of those moments. Pat Byrne was one of the country’s stalwart coaches and respected life coach. His sad passing at the age of 68, and the outpouring of love from heartbroken parents, reflects the influence he and his fellow coaches had right across the East Midlands and further afield.
For the last few years, Pat has engendered so much joy, humour and passion into the Let’s Fish programme and Nenescape scheme as a whole. Alongside his team mates, Bryan and Ian, he brightened every event he attended.
Kelvin Allen, Angling Trust