Phone conversations with Fred Abbott were certainly never dull, especially in the last 10 years of his life as he fought through several major surgeries and beat the odds over and over again with such admirable courage and incredible good humor. Our conversations always included family matters but were mostly recollections of the time we spent together in Minnesota, recalling with a great deal of humor (and some pride) the remarkable group of diverse and unique characters that were part of the North East Soccer Association. These were the good times and Fred revelled in working with anyone,regardless of their background,who shared his passion for the game. He was such a positive influence in many lives at that time. We often talked cricket because Fred & I grew up knowing all the major players in the world game in the 1950's. Few people are aware that Fred played club cricket in England at a very high level and he loved regaling me (often more than once!) with stories of his on the field encounters with internationally known players. While outwardly full of good humor Fred was a man of very strong principles and even when it might have been politically correct to do so I never saw or heard of him backing down when he felt he was in the right. Of course everyone now knows of Fred's joy in the exploits of Burnley FC and how it thankfully lit up the last year of his life. Even though they were relegated I couldn't help thinking how he would have cheered when his lads thrashed 4th placed Tottemham Hotspur 4 - 0 in their final game of the season May 9, 2010. I will miss those phone conversations. Thank you Fred for the many we had. Allan Eastwood