A emotional episode of That Millwall Call-in Space Show as we pay tribute to our beloved chairman, John Berylson, who sadly lost his life earlier this week. Fans were given their chance to share their stories and pay tribute to the man that lived and breathed for Millwall football club and the man that signal handedly kept our club afloat. Listen as fans pay tribute. Thank you for everything, Mr Chairman. RIP. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What prompted the tribute to John Berylson in this episode?
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Good evening and welcome to a Millwall calling. I don't want to call it a special, a tribute show. It's definitely one show I don't think... I definitely didn't think I would ever have to do and mention the words I'm going to mention shortly. And to be fair, we were thinking about possibly doing a show last night and thought, no, to be fair, none of us could really get our heads around it.
I mean, I'm denied about it all day today, but looking across Twitter and and obviously people going to the club to sign the book of condolence, um, players, uh, ex players just thought that this could be a good way for, um, middle fans with their stories to be able to share it. Um, and just put it out. We are going to, um, stick this out as a podcast. Um, And obviously make it available there.
We can't really make it available on YouTube because there's just no real way of doing that properly, to be fair. But yesterday we got the sad news. Unfortunately, our chairman, John Berylson, sadly lost his life in a tragic accident.
Chapter 2: How did fans react to the news of John Berylson's passing?
And that news came out from the club and then obviously was picked up by various media outlets. What I'd like to do from the start is say tonight's show isn't about, you know, any questions about what happens next or, you know, what's going to happen to the club and all of that, or because that's for a later show right now.
this is just about remembering John, sharing some stories, what people have, um, and just, you know, put in there that, you know, anyone who knows John can listen, any Millwall fan can listen to this and listen to what he meant to us as individuals. I'll have some stories.
I, you know, I wasn't best mates with John in any, any shape or form, and I'm never going to pretend I was, but yes, I've had, you know, um, phone calls and conversations and meetings with him over my time.
And I just think that he was a genuine, nice bloke who, as far as he was concerned, he was just one of us, you know, someone of his stature walking around the stadium freely on match day, shaking hands, having selfies. And he never really, thought that he had any fame. As far as he was concerned, he's just a real fan. He's just looking after our club.
He used to always say, I'm just looking after it, doing the best I can for it. I've been absolutely cacking myself all day when we decided to do this show. Those are the requests I will keep. If I don't necessarily recognise your account, I will
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Chapter 3: What personal stories do fans share about John Berylson?
double-check, so we might be a bit slow for things. People have been on shows before where they get you in, but this is just really about stories and all that. Alex, Gracie, do you want to come in? Because I know you're at work and you just want to say something before running off, so you might as well go first, fella.
All right, Mick. I thought that was a really, really good intro, mate. I thought you'd done that really, really well. No, no, I think... All of us were in great shock last night when that message came through. When we saw that statement, I for one couldn't actually believe it. It's numb. It's a numb feeling, of course it is.
For me, being on both sides of this as a supporter and as a reporter, you get the different views and the different angles of it. But What more can you say about someone who is just a legend of a man, a legend of everything to do with that football club?
Chapter 4: What impact did John Berylson have on Millwall Football Club?
You know, I think I said it to you earlier, didn't I, when we were talking. I think the one word you could use to describe his whole reign, technically, is consistent. The man was consistent in everything he did. He was consistently loyal. He was consistent. He backed everyone that was at that club. Six managers in 17 years. The man knew how to look after a football club.
He knew how to run the football club. I know he's got help for people doing it, but he was the man. He was the man at the top. He saved the football. the reason we all have a football club to support is because of the job that he's done the backing he's given you know £100 million of his own money put into the football club. It's very rare you get an owner that delivers what he's delivered.
Chapter 5: How did John Berylson connect with players and fans?
You've seen it with other clubs. You've seen it with clubs that are on the verge of going out of business. The ones like Southend, for instance, Charlton, the difficult owners that you've never seen. I don't think any EFL club...
you know, and from anyone that I've been to, that any EFL club that had a bond between the supporters and the owners that John Berylson had with Millwall fans, I struggle to see another club that's had that rapport between the two. You know, I think we said it in the statement last night, didn't we, what, you know, he was the example of just a genuinely fantastic owner of a football club.
And what anyone thinks and says and delivers. I mean, you've seen the comments today from Sean Hutchinson, from Gary Rowett, as to what he did for them personally. I heard Steve Morrison last night as well on TalkSport. Have you got any, Alex? had anything bad to say. And I think that's what Gary echoing was really in his message from the club earlier.
Can you hear me, Alex?
It's numb.
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Chapter 6: What qualities made John Berylson a beloved chairman?
It's a numb feeling. I don't think anyone's ever thought of what post-Berlson era would be like. We've never had to think about it because we've never wanted to. So, no, look, I think it's... It's definitely something that's going to rock the football club. And any success going forward, look, it will be his legacy. And we have to do it for him. And we have to do it in his memory.
And whatever happens next happens. But one thing that will never be forgotten will be what John Berylson did for Millwall Football Club.
Absolutely. Absolutely. And yeah, I'm glad you don't get paid by the word, mate. I'm going to get Dave in and then I'll come to obviously.
You there?
Chapter 7: What are the proposed tributes to honor John Berylson?
Where you going? Stephen and Ben, I'll come back to you two in a sec. Let's just get Dave in who's standing in, who wants to speak. Dave, you're on to the middle calling, fella. Give us one of your experiences, maybe meeting John or what John meant to you.
Yeah, hey, you know, I'm really glad you've done this tonight. It must have been hard to sort of consider doing it, but it was great. Not sure quite what's happened to Mick there. Stephen, we want to throw to you, mate.
Go on, Dave. I'm not quite sure what's happened there, Alex, but Mickie was coming through, and Dave, do you want to just carry on, mate?
Yeah, thank you, Dave. Sorry. Yeah, no, it's just, I mean, I'm in a bit of a guilt thing.
The last time I called in, I was sort of asking,
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Chapter 8: How will John Berylson's legacy influence Millwall's future?
what's he going to do with the money? Is he going to put some more in? And, uh, I think the more I've learned today about the man himself, and it's unfortunate when people partially seem to find out a lot more about them than when they're alive.
And, um, I mean, some of the tributes I've heard from journalists, ex-players, I mean, no one's got a bad word to say about this man. I mean, he was, I mean, I was a bit tearful this morning, to be honest with you boys, you know, it's, uh, You know, I just don't think it's ever going to be the same without him. I think what the man said earlier, he said about, you know, what a chairman.
He was a chairman that everyone would want as a chairman.
You know, he was real. He was proper. He was with the fans. And I think, you know, I think we don't like a lot of people at Mill, let's be fair, even with ex-players coming down. But he loved us and I think we loved him. Yeah, no, I think you're spot on there, Dave. Absolutely. I mean, he was liked by everybody.
I mean, some of the comments online you've seen and that, which we're going to in a bit as well. But thanks, Dave, for that. Ben, do you want to come in and say something? Because I know you've got to shoot off in a bit as well, mate. What would you like to say, fella?
Yeah, cheers, mate. I mean, just for me, I don't have a story. I wasn't...
lucky enough to to meet mr belson but i think alex summed it up really it it's such a a strange feeling it's just a feeling of numbness and similar to dave i think we were all genuinely quite emotional and i think as mill fans that's probably the highest compliment you could ever give someone who's not another mill fan or you don't don't know personally um
So for me, Mick, it's just about saying thank you to Mr. Bellison for everything he's done for us over the last few years. Yeah, look, I think every single football club in the country would want a chairman like John. We never had to worry about what tomorrow meant for Millwall because we were run in the correct way. And I think in this day and age with football,
owners taking the piss out of clubs and fans. I think that's the highest compliment you could pay to a football owner. And as I think we've all seen on social media over the last few days, I haven't seen a single bad word said about the man. I don't think you will. No, and from any outlet. And the stuff that Steve Morrison said, again, got me quite emotional.
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