Bills Funeral

What a day!!! Bill would be smiling from one ear to the other with the send off he got. A very sad but beautiful day, the sun shone like it has not shone all year, so much warmth. I couldn't count how many people attended, far to many but each one did Bill proud. I know Bills family were so brave, it is hard to put in to words my admiration I have for all of them, all so strong...

I have attached a letter I received from Derek Hopkins...

Unfortnately I could not attend the Funeral but I thought I'd write something on Bill

I haven't known Bill Ward long and I don't know him very well but he will always be with me following one day in Toronto.

I lost my Father in May 2005 and fought at High Wycombe two weeks later and I was a disaster. So I go to the World Masters in Mississauga, Toronto not in the best of shape mentally. First round I have the previous years Gold medallist who beats me. So only a bronze to aim for. Then along comes Bill and he decides to be the matside coach. I think he was trying to be everyone's but he seemed to be mine.

We decide just to take things as they come and the 1st and second rounds were relatively easy - well I don't remember much anyway I only have video of one 16 second fight so...

Then comes the famous or infamous fight with Aziz Bendriss, who fights out of the NYAC Judo Club. We had a hard fight which Bill and I had decided I would fight tactically as Bill had seen that Aziz had won his previous fights by making his opponents look passive. So I worked hard and Aziz was given 2 shidos, I got a bit tired and I got one too. So scoreboard should say 2 Koka's to me and 1 to Aziz, but when the referee signals that Aziz as won we are dumbfounded to find that the scoreboard has the score 3 to 2 in Aziz's favor. Aziz says to the referee that this is wrong but he is waved away. Bill's first words are "Stay There, Do Not come Off" and stalks round the mat to the officials.

30 minutes I stand in the middle of the mat (well I think it was that long but it seemed longer) and Bill fought my case including finding video evidence that the scoreboard was incorrect and Aziz backing Bill up that the result was wrong. The result was changed and thanks to Bill and my opponent that fight is won.

Next fight with a Brazilian gets me a photo in The World of Judo thanks to Bob Willingham and Bills instructions from the side and into the Bronze medal fight. My opponent is a Canadian who won the weight category in Japan, George Jobb.

We have a very hard fight that due to neither of us being able score goes to golden score. Bill is giving me instructions the whole time giving me great confidence. Off we go again and Georg attacks with Uchi Mata and I counter with Ura Nage for Ippon. My wife goes nuts and a lot of others are very pleased.

I com off and thank Bill for his help and he then tells me that as I was doing the counter he was going NO, NO, NO, in his head and when we landed it was a big YES....

I met George at the World Masters this year and he asked where Bill was. After telling him that Bill was not well he told me that he remembered Bill as the only matside coach he did not want to have against him. Bill's constant instructions and insight into what my opponent was trying to do was in his words "a pain in the ass".

My thanks and thoughts will always contain Bill for that single day which we did for my Father.

Bless the man his smile and his Judo

Derek