About Nick
A brief history of his life
Nick was born Nicholas Maurice Moore on 11th August 1987. He was the youngest of two children, as he had a sister, Amélie, 2 years older than him, and was a happy, healthy child.
Having started education at Prospect Day Nursery (where he first met premiership footballers!), Nicholas - as he was then - then went on to attend Wilson Primary School which was just down the road from where his family lived at the time, at the age of 5.
Although they moved house in his fifth year there, he remained at the school until age 11. Throughout this time, Nicholas developed an interest in football; his parents had written down that one of the first things he could do was to kick a football! It was in the final years of primary school that he really developed his passion for it, though - and joined his first football club, Manor Colts FC, who were based in a nearby park.
Throughout his time at MCFC, Nick (as he was now becoming!) was rapidly
seen as one of the team's best players - he won several awards and
trophies during his time with the club.
Manor Colts FC was not the only football Nick played; he had previously played in many of Reading FC's 'Football in the Community' tournaments, and won awards there too!
At age 11, Nick joined his sister at Theale Green Community School, where he quickly made many friends. In his first years at Theale, he would go around collecting coins off the floor and add it to a 'collection' which he shared with his friends!
Around age 13, Nick became interested in gardening. He and his best friend would spend hours in the garden; planting flowers, digging flowerbeds, pulling up weeds... They even started their own business around local family and friends and would offer their services for a (sometimes!) reasonable price.
For his 15th birthday, Nick wanted nothing more than a greenhouse. So... his family bought him one! Many people commented on what a strange present this was for a teenage boy, but it didn't matter - Nick loved it and set about tending to yet more plants in there.
He began a voluntary job at Englefield Garden Centre, after one of his friends had done work experience there - and was paid in plants, because of his young age. The family's garden looked dazzling, but the boot of the car he was collected in certainly didn't!
Of course, the football was still continuing behind all of this; in the beginning of his football days, he cited his three favourite teams as (in order of preference) Reading FC, Chelsea, Manchester United. However, around the age of 12-13 he dropped the latter, as he personally thought they were rubbish... And then proceeded to decorate his bedroom in the Chelsea colours of blue, white and yellow.
It was around this time as well that Nick switched football teams - he followed a couple of friends into a team more local to his family's new home, Theale Tigers. He was selected as Players' Player of the Year soon after joining. It was becoming clear that Nick was an excellent footballer.
Nick achieved great marks at GCSE level in all his subjects, and his technology project, a table with lights shining through the top, was something he was extremely proud of. As well as sport and gardening, Nick was also very interested in a lot of DIY. He was putting up shelves and even made a bird table out of pieces of an old fence! When he was 16 he made a climbing frame for a plant of his out of scrap wood which he got cheap from the local DIY store - it is situated at the front of the family home. He also had a passion for cycling, and then driving, and on his 17th birthday he booked his first lessons. Within 3 months he was ready to take his practical test, after passing the Theory with flying colours.
In terms of sport, Nick had now progressed to A-level PE and had built up an avid interest in Cricket, Tennis, Badminton and Squash. He joined a cricket club in the summer of 2003, and continued to juggle his two part-time jobs (he had now started working at the local Sainsbury's too) and football team with this new club. The captain of his team at Caversham & Redingensians Cricket Club found that he was a natural at cricket and on discovering that Nick was also a superb footballer, he (the captain) recruited Nick for his own football team, Reading Old Blues FC. Nick was thrilled to have been selected for ROBFC, which was a men's team. He had just started his second season for them and was again voted Players' Player of the Year, as well as Man of the Match on many an occasion.
In October, Nick was chosen to play for the county under 18s football team. He was so pleased to have got through, especially as he thought he hadn't played all that well in the trials.
The first match, which should have been played in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. It was this ground that it is believed Nick was visiting on the night of the accident in which he died.
He is dearly missed, and it is such a shame he never got to play for the county team, or that he could never take his driving test. But he will live on in our hearts and in our memories. Rest in Peace, Nick.