Jay Rod - Pendleside
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2020 2:41 pm
Surprised not to see someone has already posted (can't see it anywhere...).
The Times: Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez giving to mark memory of grandfather
The 30-year-old has made a video to help raise funds for the hospice where his grandfather spent his final days, writes Henry Winter
Jay Rodriguez’s grandfather, Brian Threlfall, a well-known character around the Burnley area, used to drive the 18-year-old to Preston station on a Friday afternoon to catch the train north, heading off for games on loan at Stirling Albion.
It’s not the longest journey, 25 miles, but it took a while. “He used to take forever,” Rodriguez recalls. “He always used to drive so slow! We’d have to plan to leave a few hours before just to get to Preston on time.” He loved those car trips, enjoying Brian’s humour and advice. “I could always rely on him for jokes, probably not the best jokes, but it was so funny, he was always laughing at his jokes.”
Between the bad jokes, Brian dispensed good advice. “He was always a really important person in the family, the one you’d go to, a great man,” Rodriguez continues. “He’d always say to me: ‘You can’t work hard and play hard.’ He was an electrician with Norweb and grafted really hard all his life. I always remember him saying that, about working hard.
“That came from my parents, too. They always said, whatever you do, work to your maximum, and if your best isn’t good enough then you can hold your hands up, and say, ‘I tried my best.’ It does stem from my granddad really.”
When Brian fell ill, he was cared for in hospitals in Blackburn and Burnley. “I could see how hard the NHS nurses worked,” Rodriguez says. “They were always so caring and helpful for my granddad in Blackburn and in Burnley. We were always thankful to the nurses.”
Brian was eventually moved into Pendleside Hospice, just to the north of Burnley. Rodriguez knew it well. He donated to the hospice on his 21st birthday, and even when moving on from Burnley to Southampton, and England recognition, then West Brom, he never forgot and willingly became an ambassador for them in 2017.
“Being a local lad, I knew a lot about it already, with friends who had family members there, losing loved ones,” he says. “Everybody I spoke to about it said what a great place Pendleside Hospice is, how they treat people. I feel really proud and privileged to be involved.”
When Brian was moved in to Pendleside, Rodriguez saw even more the selflessness and compassion of the nurses and staff. “It was the hardest time but it was such a nice feeling for the family when we went home, we knew he was being cared for. He had one-to-one care, the nurses there are absolutely brilliant. They got to know him straight away, my granddad was always cracking jokes, always seeing the best of things.”
Sadly, Brian passed away in Pendleside on February 27. “He’s really missed by the family because he was such a nice guy,” Rodriguez says. So when the 30-year-old heard last week about the hospice’s appeal for help during the pandemic, given the huge hit to their fundraising, he leapt at the chance to help, making a video for their “Keep Your Hospice Open” campaign.
He knows the pressure that staff are under. “They are fearful of bringing things into the hospice, or maybe contracting it themselves, and they are still working as normal, still caring. It is important that hospices get the help as well as the hospitals, but obviously we know how stretched it is as well.”
Since returning to Turf Moor from The Hawthorns a year ago, Rodriguez has worked on the award-winning Burnley FC in the Community’s schemes with refugees, on a mental health campaign and even planting trees. There’s no craving praise, just quietly pointing out that players do have a social conscience. “I’m very privileged to play football, so if I can help out in other ways then of course I want to, helping charities, like the refugee football, I really enjoyed it. It gives me fulfilment.”
So he was surprised and annoyed when hearing the health secretary Matt Hancock calling on footballers to “do their bit” in response to a question in a No 10 coronavirus briefing and, subsequently on ITV, asking “why don’t our footballers club together and support our hospices”. Many players are involved with hospices, including Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney, Ben Gibson, Dele Alli and Mark Noble, as well as Rodriguez.
“It was disappointing,” Rodriguez says. “Players took a lot of criticism at the time while organising the #PlayersTogether movement.’’ Ben Mee co-ordinated Burnley’s response to the initiative, liaising with Jordan Henderson of Liverpool, Manchester United’s Harry Maguire and other club captains.
“Ben was really good, he kept us all informed of everything. He’s a great captain and a great guy, well-respected,” Rodriguez says. “It’s a great movement, a brilliant thing. It took a lot of organisation from the captains and then the players to get together and do that. The main thing on the players’ mind is to help the NHS, who are the real heroes.”
The unity between all 20 dressing rooms is “really important”, Rodriguez emphasises. Rivals on the pitch, Rodriguez having duelled with Maguire, Henderson and Noble, Troy Deeney and Hugo Lloris, now stood shoulder to shoulder, united by a common cause. “We are rivals when it comes to football, but when it comes to something bigger than football, the lads are just lads brought up well and doing well,” Rodriguez explains. “It just shows that, when everyone comes together and becomes one, how powerful it is helping others.”
He watches the news and sees the problems locally and nationally. “It’s everywhere at the moment with how powerful this virus is. Burnley have helped out with local foodbanks. It’s just giving back to anyone in need. I’ve always known Burnley is a place where people do stick together and help each other out.”
In lockdown, Rodriguez finishes rehab from the knee injury suffered against Tottenham Hotspur on March 7. “I’ve got two dogs, so we’ve been walking them. I use a Wattbike. Phil [Pomeroy] at the club, the physio, is brilliant, always using FaceTime, videoing, sending me stuff, so that’s been really good.” Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager, is in regular contact. “He’s very good. That’s a strong point of Burnley — great team spirit.
“We’ve a great group of lads and staff, that’s really powerful in the team. I definitely noticed that coming back. I do miss going in every morning, and having a laugh and talking about the news. We’re in a [group] chat, we Zoom and speak about looking forward to getting back and getting to work together. It’s a bit of banter, chat, just catching up and trying to replicate being together while in isolation. I miss meeting the lads, getting to work and the games at the weekend. That’s secondary at the moment. The main thing is to overcome the coronavirus.”
His chairman, Mike Garlick, warns that Burnley are likely to lose £45 million in broadcast revenue and £5 million in match-day income with the season on hold and the club are understandably looking for savings. Rodriguez knows players at his old club, Southampton, took a wage deferral to help others at the club. Would he? “Yes, of course,” he replies. “We are in this together. If that comes up, we’d get together and see how we can help. We have a squad that is full of good guys.”
Having played 129 times during his first period at Burnley, and 31 games since returning, the academy graduate knows so many members of staff at Barnfield training centre as well as Turf Moor. They’re like family. “That’s the most important thing, you don’t stray away, you stick together and help each other out at a time of crisis,” he says.
“Every human being is the same: give something back, treat everyone with respect. I’ve been brought up well by my parents, and my grandparents.” Brian would be proud.
To donate, please visit justgiving.com/campaign/pendlesidecovid19appeal
The Times: Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez giving to mark memory of grandfather
The 30-year-old has made a video to help raise funds for the hospice where his grandfather spent his final days, writes Henry Winter
Jay Rodriguez’s grandfather, Brian Threlfall, a well-known character around the Burnley area, used to drive the 18-year-old to Preston station on a Friday afternoon to catch the train north, heading off for games on loan at Stirling Albion.
It’s not the longest journey, 25 miles, but it took a while. “He used to take forever,” Rodriguez recalls. “He always used to drive so slow! We’d have to plan to leave a few hours before just to get to Preston on time.” He loved those car trips, enjoying Brian’s humour and advice. “I could always rely on him for jokes, probably not the best jokes, but it was so funny, he was always laughing at his jokes.”
Between the bad jokes, Brian dispensed good advice. “He was always a really important person in the family, the one you’d go to, a great man,” Rodriguez continues. “He’d always say to me: ‘You can’t work hard and play hard.’ He was an electrician with Norweb and grafted really hard all his life. I always remember him saying that, about working hard.
“That came from my parents, too. They always said, whatever you do, work to your maximum, and if your best isn’t good enough then you can hold your hands up, and say, ‘I tried my best.’ It does stem from my granddad really.”
When Brian fell ill, he was cared for in hospitals in Blackburn and Burnley. “I could see how hard the NHS nurses worked,” Rodriguez says. “They were always so caring and helpful for my granddad in Blackburn and in Burnley. We were always thankful to the nurses.”
Brian was eventually moved into Pendleside Hospice, just to the north of Burnley. Rodriguez knew it well. He donated to the hospice on his 21st birthday, and even when moving on from Burnley to Southampton, and England recognition, then West Brom, he never forgot and willingly became an ambassador for them in 2017.
“Being a local lad, I knew a lot about it already, with friends who had family members there, losing loved ones,” he says. “Everybody I spoke to about it said what a great place Pendleside Hospice is, how they treat people. I feel really proud and privileged to be involved.”
When Brian was moved in to Pendleside, Rodriguez saw even more the selflessness and compassion of the nurses and staff. “It was the hardest time but it was such a nice feeling for the family when we went home, we knew he was being cared for. He had one-to-one care, the nurses there are absolutely brilliant. They got to know him straight away, my granddad was always cracking jokes, always seeing the best of things.”
Sadly, Brian passed away in Pendleside on February 27. “He’s really missed by the family because he was such a nice guy,” Rodriguez says. So when the 30-year-old heard last week about the hospice’s appeal for help during the pandemic, given the huge hit to their fundraising, he leapt at the chance to help, making a video for their “Keep Your Hospice Open” campaign.
He knows the pressure that staff are under. “They are fearful of bringing things into the hospice, or maybe contracting it themselves, and they are still working as normal, still caring. It is important that hospices get the help as well as the hospitals, but obviously we know how stretched it is as well.”
Since returning to Turf Moor from The Hawthorns a year ago, Rodriguez has worked on the award-winning Burnley FC in the Community’s schemes with refugees, on a mental health campaign and even planting trees. There’s no craving praise, just quietly pointing out that players do have a social conscience. “I’m very privileged to play football, so if I can help out in other ways then of course I want to, helping charities, like the refugee football, I really enjoyed it. It gives me fulfilment.”
So he was surprised and annoyed when hearing the health secretary Matt Hancock calling on footballers to “do their bit” in response to a question in a No 10 coronavirus briefing and, subsequently on ITV, asking “why don’t our footballers club together and support our hospices”. Many players are involved with hospices, including Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney, Ben Gibson, Dele Alli and Mark Noble, as well as Rodriguez.
“It was disappointing,” Rodriguez says. “Players took a lot of criticism at the time while organising the #PlayersTogether movement.’’ Ben Mee co-ordinated Burnley’s response to the initiative, liaising with Jordan Henderson of Liverpool, Manchester United’s Harry Maguire and other club captains.
“Ben was really good, he kept us all informed of everything. He’s a great captain and a great guy, well-respected,” Rodriguez says. “It’s a great movement, a brilliant thing. It took a lot of organisation from the captains and then the players to get together and do that. The main thing on the players’ mind is to help the NHS, who are the real heroes.”
The unity between all 20 dressing rooms is “really important”, Rodriguez emphasises. Rivals on the pitch, Rodriguez having duelled with Maguire, Henderson and Noble, Troy Deeney and Hugo Lloris, now stood shoulder to shoulder, united by a common cause. “We are rivals when it comes to football, but when it comes to something bigger than football, the lads are just lads brought up well and doing well,” Rodriguez explains. “It just shows that, when everyone comes together and becomes one, how powerful it is helping others.”
He watches the news and sees the problems locally and nationally. “It’s everywhere at the moment with how powerful this virus is. Burnley have helped out with local foodbanks. It’s just giving back to anyone in need. I’ve always known Burnley is a place where people do stick together and help each other out.”
In lockdown, Rodriguez finishes rehab from the knee injury suffered against Tottenham Hotspur on March 7. “I’ve got two dogs, so we’ve been walking them. I use a Wattbike. Phil [Pomeroy] at the club, the physio, is brilliant, always using FaceTime, videoing, sending me stuff, so that’s been really good.” Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager, is in regular contact. “He’s very good. That’s a strong point of Burnley — great team spirit.
“We’ve a great group of lads and staff, that’s really powerful in the team. I definitely noticed that coming back. I do miss going in every morning, and having a laugh and talking about the news. We’re in a [group] chat, we Zoom and speak about looking forward to getting back and getting to work together. It’s a bit of banter, chat, just catching up and trying to replicate being together while in isolation. I miss meeting the lads, getting to work and the games at the weekend. That’s secondary at the moment. The main thing is to overcome the coronavirus.”
His chairman, Mike Garlick, warns that Burnley are likely to lose £45 million in broadcast revenue and £5 million in match-day income with the season on hold and the club are understandably looking for savings. Rodriguez knows players at his old club, Southampton, took a wage deferral to help others at the club. Would he? “Yes, of course,” he replies. “We are in this together. If that comes up, we’d get together and see how we can help. We have a squad that is full of good guys.”
Having played 129 times during his first period at Burnley, and 31 games since returning, the academy graduate knows so many members of staff at Barnfield training centre as well as Turf Moor. They’re like family. “That’s the most important thing, you don’t stray away, you stick together and help each other out at a time of crisis,” he says.
“Every human being is the same: give something back, treat everyone with respect. I’ve been brought up well by my parents, and my grandparents.” Brian would be proud.
To donate, please visit justgiving.com/campaign/pendlesidecovid19appeal
sometimes it's better to Larf!!