Domestic football spent Christmas in mourning following the death of one of the game's most loyal sons Nigel Dixon.
Dixon passed away a week and a half ago after succumbing to cancer and was cremated in a private ceremony last Thursday in East London.
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He was 55 and is survived by his wife and Melaine and two kids Chadley and Ashleigh along with his siblings and family.
In an in-depth interview that he did with this publication two years ago when he was involved in the revival of Bush Bucks – a club he had called home for all but five of the 32 years that he had spent in football at the time – he detailed his football journey.
Dixon only ever played for Bush Bucks in the professional ranks after signing as a 20-year-old from Highlands Spurs at the end of 1987, straight after Imbabala won promotion from the old second division.
Since then, the only time that he ever left Bucks was from 2009-14 when he was the goalkeeper coach at Santos.
He studied at Dower Teachers College in his hometown of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and graduated in 1990 after which he relocated to Mthatha.
An injury suffered in 1994 ultimately led to his retirement three years later after which he became assistant to then-head coach Trott Moloto.
After serving as an assistant, he then worked as a goalkeeper coach, and team manager and had spells as a caretaker coach in between the over dozen coaches that the club had through those years until they were relegated and subsequently liquidated in 2006.
He remained with the revived version of the club after Sturu Pasiya bought the franchise of Lion City the following year.
Dixon won the 1993 Coca-Cola Cup which he noted as having been the highlight of his career.
"Winning the Coca-Cola Cup was huge because it was Bush Bucks' first major trophy.
"The whole of Mthatha came to a standstill and we were treated like royalty.
"It was an unbelievable experience.
"That would be the biggest for me.
"Then signing my first professional contract in 1988 was satisfying, even though I was earning R400 every month plus R50 for a win and R25 for a draw.
"Back then it wasn't about the money but the passion for the game," he said.
In the interview, he explained how his teaching career came to a sour end after being served with a letter of absconding despite taking a year's leave and eventually cut ties with the profession.
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