If you had asked me last week how well I knew Randy Swan, I would quickly have said not well at all

However, on reflection, as I thought about him constantly in recent days, I believe I probably knew him better than I realised.

You can tell a lot by how a person plays their sport ? and Randy spoke volumes on the football field.

The ace defender was passionate, determined, loyal to his team's cause and he loved to win. Oh, how he delighted in victory and being a vital cog in a successful line-up made winning all the sweeter.

He played hard and he celebrated in equal proportion.

I can recall his open-toothed grin as he hollered and savoured champagne at the National Sports Centre in spring when Town battled to a hard-fought and unforgettable FA Cup replay win over Devonshire Cougars to earn the league and knock-out double.

The fullback thoroughly revelled in the fact that he was usually the go-to guy when his club's goal was under siege from the likes of Cougars' hitman Raymond Beach, North Village's Jennings clan and other lethal strikers.

Before games he could often be caught joking with team-mates and rallying everyone around that day's mission but as soon as that whistle blew, number 16 was all business.

Though he was one of those chest-thumping, 'I'm-the-man' types I never regarded him as boastful just very confident and capable. He believed in himself and backed himself to the hilt.

Having covered the bulk of Town's matches last season, I was often caught in a dilemma about my man-of-the-match choices between the dazzling Smith-and-Smith ? Khano and Carlos ? combination up front and Hornets' rock-solid defenders.

Many times, it was Randy whose performance triggered lengthy pause in my decision-making. Given their prolific scoring and playmaking, more often than not I opted for one of the Smiths, but I was never short of admiration for the manner in which Randy effected his duties.

How often have we seen him ? as the last line of defence ? spare Jason Smith, Cymande Davis or Antoine Lightbourne blushes in goal because he was able to do just enough to thwart an advancing threat?

His speed, his grit and sheer willingness to sacrifice his lanky frame in even the most perilous tackle for Town's sake was a sterling attribute. There were no half measures about his commitment.

My colleague Colin Thompson told me that in Randy's earlier days, youthful exuberance frequently got the better of him and resulted in a plethora of red cards. Clearly, by the time I came to work in Bermuda in 2002, he had tempered his tenacity with timing and precision to gain a reputation as one of the Island's finest defenders.

Uncannily, Randy's name came up in a conversation Colin and I had a few weeks ago before either of us could have imagined the tragedy that would mar this Yuletide season. Colin was lauding how the Hornets player had matured and noting how much he was flourishing on the field.

This season, injury and suspension, limited his contribution to Dandy Town.

However, on October 10, he scored one of their three goals at home to blank Somerset Trojans and his final appearance for the club was in their 2-1 league loss to North Village on December 5.

Last Sunday, as he lay in hospital while a heavy-hearted Town surrendered their coveted FA Cup with PHC breaching their defence time and again, I couldn't help wondering how different things might have been if Randy had been in the thick of that action.

No doubt, such will be the thoughts in the future when we are around at St. John's Road or wherever those brown-and-gold uniforms take to a pitch.

And somewhere in our souls will stir memories of the missing link ? that livewire of a fullback ? bolting down the wings or sliding into an uncompromising tackle, all the while number 16 fluttering on his back.