RIP Freda Oyston - a minute's applause at 15.03 on Saturday 20/04/24 please.



1982DurhamSAFC said:
It's with great sadness that we announce the untimely passing of Freda Oyston on Thursday 11th April 2024 aged 84.

Freda was well loved & known mainly for her efforts as Secretary of The Sunderland Disabled & Escorts Supporters Branch from the mid-1990s until the last few years due to her deteriorating health. Freda alongside her beloved husband Eddie Oyston (who sadly passed away in January 2021) along with many other fellow volunteers enabled thousands of Disabled & able-bodied people access tickets, travel & parking for Sunderland AFC home & away fixtures for over 25 years. At times at their own financial expense. Sometimes doing such a role endured criticism as she tried her best for people & sometimes she would upset people trying to protect disabled supporters when people were blocking their view at matches etc.
We know she was no angel & gave as much as she got at times but all through trying to do the right thing.


Freda had 2 landlines to her home in Durham whilst she was running the branch enabling her to keep on top of things for Supporters that required her assistance. Freda would arrange fundraising events for the branch like pie & pea suppers which were always well supported by current players, staff or managers at the time.

Freda assisted Sir Bob Murray former Sunderland AFC owner & chairman with feedback regarding Disabled access / facilities etc upon building the Stadium of Light, Wembley Stadium and beyond. She always fought for the good of the branch & supporters within it.

Freda absolutely loved Sunderland AFC going as far back as watching the Sunderland team return from the victorious 1973 FA Cup win where she stood at Carrville with her family as the team coach passed. Her passion for Sunderland was spurred on upon meeting Eddie in the early 1980's who was Sunderland to the core & they went to every home & away match for as long as I can remember until covid hit. They used to run the Durham Supporters Branch bus for away matches during the 80s / early 90s for away matches prior to setting up the Disabled Branch. For home matches they assisted various Disabled Supporters in their own car.

It will be The Sunderland Disabled & Escorts Supporters Branch that she will be best known for.

Freda was a true Sunderland legend who will be sadly missed by many supporters, friends, former SAFC players / staff / managers & especially her dear family of which she was a mother, grandmother & great grandmother.

Finally we would like to arrange a round of applause at the home game vs Millwall on Saturday 20th April 2024 on the 3rd minute for Freda & Eddie as they were married in 2003 (unfortunately Eddie passed during Covid so no supporters). I think they should be remembered together as 2 true Sunderland supporting legends that will be missed by many!


(I'm her grandson)
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RIP Freda. My condolences to you, family and friends.
 
Lord Potts said:
She sounds as if she was quite a formiddable lady . You must be very proud of you gran and especially what she did for others and what she achieved.
People like her have made SAFC the very special Club it is regardless of what its fortunes may be on the pitch.

I am sorry for your family's loss.

RIP Freda
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Well said sah!
 
RIP Freda and sympathies to your family for what sounds like a lovely woman who was a great help to many of our fans.

Such a shame also that a quarter of our fans won’t be in the ground by the time the round of applause takes place.
 
HarrogateMackem said:
I believe I met her at the Mags away a few years ago now. I respect the work she and others like her have put into making the club as inclusive as possible. RIP.


Not the thread for it, but it's something I can never forgive either. Too many people seem to have forgot about it, while they're more then happy to bring up Coventry cheating from fifty years ago.
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I will put a different slant on that. I went on the pitch that night after seeing what happened. After we fucked them idiots off and as I came off the pitch there was Freda giving us hell for getting involved. :lol:

Great lady

RIP Freda
 
I'm so sorry to hear of Freda's passing. She was a wonderful lady and a real character. She helped my Dad enormously in his last few years, getting us a parking space underneath the North West corner which meant he could get to games, as otherwise he'd have been snookered. He passed away himself 12 years back, but had enjoyed a few laughs with Freda at pie & peas fundraisers. I remember one with Gary Bennett promoting a book, where she was a hoot.

You should be very proud 1982durhamsafc! May your Grandma, and her Eddie rest in peace.
 
RIP Freda.

She was a massive help to my family and I (southern-based MLFs) for the last 25 years or so. She gave us the opportunity to see some of the greatest SAFC moments over the years and that will never be forgotten. I remember her and Eddie coming round to our house in Essex for a roast dinner when I was a kid. I think that she had collected an award in London and we invited her over. She was thoroughly decent and extremely helpful. We will always have fond memories of her.
 

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