[Post edited 21 Jan 2021 1:47]

Pomanjou by HantsR 16 Apr 2020 15:53
Many of you on the site will be familiar with Pomanjou, who posted quite frequently on this site until a couple of years ago. Pom (Dave Pearce) and I sat together in SAR C Block until late last season when he was too unwell to make the journey anymore and made a point of giving his ST to me for the last game or two. At Christmas I wrote to him and learned that his various illnesses were taking a serious toll. Yesterday, his son wrote to me via Clive and told me of his passing, I presume finally losing his battle with cancer.

I have sent my sincere condolences to his family, some of whom I got to know at Loftus Road (LR) when they took up empty seats near us in SAR.

It was amusing how Dave and I met because we had previously personally communicated on various topics via LFW a few times without ever meeting or really knowing each other. In 2009 I had gratefully accepted his offer of 2 tickets to an away match at Doncaster (awful game as it so happened!). I remember promising him a pint and a dodgy pie if we ever met - he never held me to that promise!

Anyway, when I took up my current QPR Season Ticket seat in South Africa Road (SAR) a few years ago, he occupied the adjacent seat. I remember being gently challenged and feeling obliged to show him my new Season Ticket to prove I was in the right place, as I was in a seat that had previously been allocated to a fellow fan with whom he had been quite friendly. I like to think we warmed to each other and during one of our subsequent friendly chats, upon learning that I live in Hampshire, he asked me, "do you post on LFW?" and I was so surprised and delighted to meet 'Pomanjou' in person!

He told me the origin of his soubriquet, Pomanjou (i.e. derived from his business importing pommes from the Loire, Anjou area) and I got the impression that he did very well from it and had a nice place in Pinner, where he also had a number of apple trees - as I do in Hampshire, so another thing in common. I admired the fact that even in his late 70s, he used to come to LR after playing tennis in the morning so he tried to stay fit, whilst fighting prostate cancer, heart attack and further illnesses that have now appear to have proven too much for his body.

I always enjoyed Dave's company and looked forward to his arrival in the SAR stand at home matches. He was an intelligent, firm but gentle man and I miss his measured observations, good humour and sometimes strong opinions, gently expressed. Most importantly, he was a strong family man and of course a dedicated QPR fan.

His posts can still be seen on this site and to read them,you would get some insight into what kind of person he was. Many readers will remember him and I'm sure we're all sad to learn of his passing. No doubt several of you might want to pay their respects on the forum and some may wish to communicate directly with Dave's family. PM me if so?

For my own part, I'm so sad at his passing and I shall miss him even more now.

[Post edited 21 Jan 2021 8:13]

[Post edited 21 Jan 2021 8:53]