Emotional send-off for saviour

Fans, players and officials paid their final tributes to their late chairman at a lunchtime service at East Riding Crematorium before celebrating his life with his friends and family at The White Lodge Hotel in Filey.

The lifelong Seadogs fan passed away aged 59 last week less than 24 hours after being admitted to hospital and placed in intensive care. To remember a "great family man, friend and chairman", the Seadogs also set up boards at the venue for mourners to remember their late chairman in pictures.

Widely known and respected for helping to reform the former Football League club with fellow fans after it was wound up in 2007 and as the driving force behind the new stadium being built to end their exile, his passing was been widely mourned by fans, players and officials throughout Non-League on social media with many EVO-STIK NPL clubs holding a minute's silence at fixtures last week.

Scarborough Athletic's board paid a warm tribute to Mt Holland in their matchday programme on Saturday for their 1-1 draw with Trafford in EVO-STIK NPL First Division North.

Alongside a gallery of pictures, they wrote : "Today we say goodbye to our late chairman Dave Holland. As one together as a club, we were utterly devastated to learn of Dave’s passing last Tuesday. His achievements at this club are unsurpassed – and they weren’t just on the field as Scarborough Athletic supporters everywhere will be aware.

"Dave first began supporting the former Scarborough FC as an eight-year-old in the 1964-65 season and continued to follow them while working in Norfolk, where he ran an educational publishing company. He became involved with the club’s Trust following the winding up order on Scarborough FC in 2007.

"He helped resurrect the club as Athletic in June 2007 and has been an ever-present member since. However, Dave’s greatest achievement is his pivotal role in the construction of the new Leisure Village within Scarborough. The new stadium will be a fitting legacy to the hard work and passion Dave put into making it happen.

"We use the term 'Legend' all the time in football. However, as the club moves forward, Dave Holland will be worthy of the title 'Legend'. Dave Holland will forever be known as 'The man who took the Boro back home'. It is now the role of every Boro fan across the world to unite, back the team, and make Dave proud."

* The Seadogs are also mourning former attacker Steve Adams who has sadly passed away at the age of 57 after a long illness. He played 48 games for the club.

Images courtesy of scarboroughathletic.com

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