It is with great sadness that the club has to report the passing of Graham Rand on the 22nd November after a long battle, bravely fought, against the illness that robbed him of so much that life has to offer.

Bill writes….

Until his health forced his retirement, Graham was ever present at Saxons, playing for the 4th, 3rd and 2nd XIs over the years I knew him. He was a regular at Folkestone, le Touquet and pretty much any competition the club entered for.

On a Saturday he was a skipper’s dream, always available and willing to drive others around the south-east. This is of course, not to mention, the legendary weekend where a return to Argos intervened…

He was a bustling player, either up front or in the midfield and one of those players where you only realised how much effort was put in when he wasn’t there.

Paul remembers….

Graham was a great guy and a good friend. Throughout his illness he showed remarkable determination, doing everything he could to keep it at bay. He looked after himself, ate well, and balanced his hockey with regular sessions at Bannatyne’s gym — where he was often joined by teammates.

In his final seasons with us, he played for the 4th XI. His experience meant he could slot into almost any position on the pitch, though we usually kept him up front, where he formed an effective partnership with Joe Woodford.

Graham loved the social side of hockey. Encouraged by his teammates, he spent many weekends in the Old Town at the FILO or the Jenny Lind, always enjoying the camaraderie of the club. He had an easy smile, a warm nature, and a way of making everyone feel welcome.

One evening in the Jenny Lind captures his spirit perfectly. Graham met a new Saxons arrival, Sol Buckner, for the first time. Sol shook his hand with such enthusiasm that Graham spilled part of his pint over him. Moments later, Graham turned to chat with teammates and accidentally knocked a full pint straight into Sol’s lap. The whole team roared with laughter, Graham urging Buckner to pop across the road to the launderette to dry his trousers.

In his final season, 2013/14, Graham played alongside Bill Butler, Les Cornish, Maurice Pickard, Phil Carrington, Adam Millicent, Sol Buckner, Mark Roberts, Nigel Kellett (Digger), Joe Woodford, Daryl Tulk, Tom Waters, and several promising youngsters progressing from our Warriors development team.

Graham was well known across the entire club, and we will all remember him with great fondness and deep respect. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.