Tribute to a true friend

his is the hardest column I have ever had to write. I have been writing for Hartlepool Life for a number of years now – and nothing comes close to how emotional I feel even thinking about what I am going to say here.

I have thought about it for days and it still doesn’t get any easier – and the tributes over the weekend have hammered home why. Two Saturdays ago, we received a phone call at 6am – and our lives will never be the same.

That was when we learned that our good friend Matt Blades – PC Matthew Blades – and PC Tom Clough were the two police officers killed in the A66 horror crash when their marked police vehicle was struck by a VW Passat driving the wrong way down the road in the early hours.

What Matt’s wife, Sarah – who, as a family, we love to bits – has been going through is unimaginable. She is my wife’s cousin, they are the same age and have played together since birth. They even went to the same schools. Sarah was my Maid of Honour and they are godmother to each other’s children. It’s always been “Uncle Matt” around our house.

Then you look at their beautiful boys and all the family and friends of Matt and Sarah. There is no other word to describe what they are experiencing other than heartbreaking. Every day has been an emotional day for everyone.

Yet, seeing the gestures online and reading the tributes on social media, everyone can get a feel for what a top man Matt was. The events over the weekend were incredible too. To see their two boys walk out with the Manchester United players at Matt’s beloved Old Trafford on Sunday and the kind words said by United was so emotional.

Full credit to United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and they were class – giving the boys and the family a day they will never forget.

I was also at Hornby Park, on Saturday, to watch the tributes paid to Matt and his family by Seaton Carew FC and FC Hartlepool – the two clubs he coached at. Both clubs deserve enormous credit.

And there was another beautiful tribute on Friday night when Hartlepool United faced Eastleigh. It is a sign of just how much everyone has been touched by this. It should never have happened.

I can’t describe how angry and frustrated I am for what happened but we all have to cherish and remember the times we spent with Matt. Sarah has been superhuman. I have seen her at close hand every day showing immense strength and I am sure Matt would be so proud of her. In fact, he couldn’t be any prouder.

All the tributes pouring in are so true about Matt. He was a genuinely nice guy. Everyone knows how much I loved being a physio at Hartlepool United and you can multiply that by 10 to understand how much Matt loved being a policeman.

He loved his football, loved coaching his lads for FC Hartlepool and Seaton, and he was the best dad I have ever seen – so passionate about coaching and doing everything for his boys. Because we are so close to the boys, the void that has been left in the lives of everyone connected with Matt brings a tear every time you think about it.

I am so proud of how everyone is dealing with it. It’s amazing the courage his family and friends are showing. And the support Sarah is getting from the communities of Hartlepool and Teesside, the wider police family, and across the UK has been phenomenal – and it means so much to her.

She knows how loved Matt was. It is tragically sad that two guys like Matt and Tom have lost their lives. Nobody should go to work and not come home.

Tomorrow is never a given. Appreciate your family and your loved ones – and give them an extra cuddle today because you never know what is around the corner.

It has been a pleasure being part of your life, Matt. Rest in peace, forever a hero.