On the early evening of Tuesday, March 13, I was in the Grey Horse at Consett when approached by a familiar looking chap with an image on his mobile phone of a beaming, bearded young rugby player.

The picture was of Sam Gordon, better remembered – by me, anyway – as Tow Law Town’s ten-year-old mascot in the 1998 FA Vase final and the first ever mascot in any FA final at Wembley. FA chief executive Graham Kelly had personally intervened to reverse the ban.

The pub customer was Jon, Sam’s dad. The column told of the encounter just a week ago.

Last weekend, almost 20 years to the day since the Lawyers’ epic semi-final victory over Taunton Town, Sam was found dead at his home in Consett. He was 30.

The story of the FA’s initial refusal to allow Sam to lead out the Lawyers went round the world, supportive letters were addressed to “Sam Gordon, Co Durham” and delivered next day. Sam, his dad and Jarrod Suddick – Sam’s favourite Tow Law player – even appeared on the Big Breakfast.

“The only disappointment for me was that Denise van Outen was on holiday and replaced by Ant and Dec,” said Jon at the time.

From a shy, slightly spindly, overawed but utterly engaging ten-year-old, Sam went on to become a 6ft 3in goalkeeper good enough to play for Middlesbrough Under 15s and to win a sports scholarship to a Texan university.

On his return he turned out for Tow Law, the club with which in four years as mascot he’d missed just seven games – fewer than any of the players – but more recently spent his Saturdays playing rugby for Consett.

The football club said that they were “deeply saddened,” the rugby club “heartbroken.”

Sandra, Sam’s mum, enjoyed things so much at Tow Law that she became club chairperson, a post she held until recently. Once she’d recalled that, since the lad’s university was in the bible belt, Sam had also had to do religious studies.

Sandra wondered if it might discourage some of the Northern League players from cussing. The league magazine thought it optimistic.

Sam was the nicest and brightest guy imaginable, Sandra and Jon properly proud of their strapping, splendid son. His death is immensely, unfathomably, awful.