Day of grief as young sports stars mourned
Posted by admin on August 29th, 2009Several hundred people gathered in the small Co Antrim village of Stranocum outside Ballymoney yesterday for a service in memory of teenage drowning victim James Elliott.
Exactly one week on from the tragedy, a special service — believed to be one of the first of its kind in Northern Ireland — took place on a playing field in the centre of Stranocum, alongside the river which claimed the life of the teenager.
James was a pupil at Dalriada Grammar School in Ballymoney and a promising footballer with Linfield’s youth team.
Yesterday over 50 players and coaches from the Belfast team formed a guard of honour as his coffin — draped with a Linfield shirt — was carried onto the village’s football pitch where he first began his fledgling soccer career.
Following behind the coffin was James’s mother Margaret, father Clive and older sister Sara.
Reverend Mark Jones of Roseyards Presbyterian Church said it was fitting the service was held at the sports pitch.
“I have no doubt that there will have been a perfect football pitch waiting for James Elliott in Heaven,” he said.
Reverend Kenneth Crowe of Bushvale Presbyterian Church said there were few things more devastating than the loss of a child.
“He loved to walk on the riverbanks which we know only too well is where he tragically lost his life last Thursday,” he said.
“James on one hand was a lad who could be as mischievous as any other.
“Like any other lad he liked to walk his dog, feed his guinea pig and tease his sister.
“On the other hand he showed he was not a normal boy.
“He possessed extraordinary football skills.
“He was also developing academically and socially. While always wanting to play football he was progressing well at school. James had a lot going for him.”
David Chisholm, head of Youth Development at Linfield, said James was fortunate to have two families — his own and that of Linfield’s.
“In this wee country of ours there are many Ulsterisms and one of those is poignant in this case,” he said.
“We say things like, ‘Where were you when the brains were being given out?’
“In March 1995 James was at the front of the queue when they were handing things out.
“He had bravery, loyalty, commitment, passion, and above all, he was born with character.
“It will be a long time before the scars heal.
“James was rich in that he not only had his own family, he also had the Linfield family.”
Mr Chisholm described how James was a budding entrepreneur, who had made “an absolute fortune” cutting grass. So successful was this venture, he had recently offered to lend his father money, he said.
“That was James,” said Mr Chisholm. “On behalf of Linfield Football Club I extend our sympathy to the family of this little one who was a good one.”
William McConaghie, who coached James at Dervock Youths Football Club before his move to Linfield, said he had never met a boy with such good manners.
He told how he had informed James of Linfield’s interest in him on the youngster’s 10th birthday.
An ecstatic James told him it was the best present he could ever have received, he said.
One of James’s fellow pupils at Dalriada, Esther Ruth McKendry, sang ‘You Raise Me Up’, which Brian Kennedy performed at the funeral of Northern Irish soccer legend George Best.
A private family funeral will take place next week.
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