The late Billy Coffey was much more than a basketball official - he was a dad, a husband and a great friend to all who knew him

The late Billy Coffey was a lot of things to a lot of people. 

To the basketball community he was the steady hand that guided cork basketball for over 40 years. 

He was the man taking the money inside the door, always sitting on the table as he greeted players and supporters alike.

He had an uncanny knowledge and understanding of the rules and regulations of basketball that made him the go to person when someone needed advice, or guidance, not only at local level, but also at national level.

He was fearless in his loyalty to the Cork County Basketball Board and to the clubs that were affiliated to the board. 

A lot of the work he did in basketball went unseen. 

He didn’t do this work for any recognition; he did because he loved the sport and he felt that he could add value and organisation to it.

Of course, he was not just an administrator, he also played basketball in his army days playing for the Southern Command band in all Army competitions, representing the Southern Command.

This led him to being one of the founding members of the Permanent Defence Force Representative Association (PDFORRA).

Here he represented members of the association who were serving soldiers, at local and national level on items such as pay and conditions. 

He was elected as vice president of the association in 2000 and in 2002 he was elected their president.

His son Alan followed his footsteps in the Army and then onto the men’s basketball board and he credits his father's impact for the man he is today.

“I had the honour of serving with him on the National Executive which he was very proud of, as we were the first father and son combination to serve on the National Executive of PDFORRA,” Alan said.

“You could say I have walked in my father's shoes my whole life. 

"I loved doing things with my dad and I would like to think being involved in so much with him made me who I am today.

“When I was 18 he asked me to stand for election as treasurer of the Cork County Board. 

The best part of this was that I got to spend more time with him, and I also got an insight in how he operated and dealt with people and problems.

“Outside of playing basketball with the army band he never played for a club or was involved with club basketball. 

"This meant that when it came to making Cork County Board decisions, he was 100% impartial all the time.

“He treated all clubs equally and fairly. 

"He was very measured in his response to issues that may arise from time to time, and would never rush into making a decision that may have consequences for individual or clubs.

“To sum up my dad on how he raised us, and in how he treated anyone he came in contact with, and how he lived his life is as follows. 

"He was always respectful and loyal, he showed selflessness in everything he did, he portrayed physical and moral courage, and he had lots of integrity.

“My dad was the most honest man I knew. 

"He put the interest of others above his own. 

"If my brothers, my sons and I are half the man he was, we will be doing alright,” Alan added.

Nicholas, another of Billy's sons speaks fondly of the man people didn’t see in the basketball world, but as a loving father, who all his family looked up to.

“The Sergeant Major. The Basketball Man. The Messer. 

"If you knew Billy, you would know there were all those sides to him,” Nicholas said.

“Growing up in a house with five boys would be a challenge for most, but Mam and Dad took it all in their stride. 

"We never really wanted for anything. 

"Whether it was a new pair of football boots or a basketball, Mam and Dad would always find a way to get it for us.

“I knew from a very young age that Dad worked hard. 

"In the Army Band, in PDFORRA, and in CCBB he was always busy - but he always found time for us.

“I always remember Dad bringing us into the band room in Collins Barracks, or to the Parochial Hall on a Saturday, and it was like being let off a leash.

“In the nineties, I remember mam telling us that dad had been promoted to Company Sergeant. 

"I recall how proud I was of him. 

"He was the man, the boss. 

"Whether it was the CCBB or wherever he was needed, he was the steady hand. 

"The man who did the hard work when no one was watching, so the game could go on for everyone else.

“I always looked up and admired Dad. 

"He always knew what to do. 

"He was always level-headed and let very little faze him.

“One thing only a select few would ever see or know was the love he had for us, his boys, and our mam, and the love we had for him. 

"Behind the uniform and the reputation was a soft-centred family man, who would do anything for us.

“He was our leader, our role model, and our messer. 

"He was the boss, and most of all, he was my mad,” Nicholas added.

Another of Billy's sons, Ronan, was his father's sidekick.

He would spent a lot of time with him at the Parochial Hall at games. 

He was his handyman, whatever needed fixing in the Hall Ronan would get the call to go and fix it. 

His last job was a few weeks ago when he proudly hung a photo of his dad underneath where he would sit in the Hall after the family got permission of the Board of Management to hang the picture.

“One of the best things I remember about dad was when I went to the hall with him on a Tuesday and Friday night, straight after work, to act as the venue officer," Ronan said.

“As the first games started without any problems I would start to walk out the door to go to Tasty Snacks, the chipper for my dinner and I ask dad if he wanted something?

“His reply always was something small like a sausage or a pie and as I leaving to get the food he would always say “don’t tell your mam.” 

“You could meet him shopping in Dunnes Stores. 

"That is when the messer would come out in him.

"He used to meet a lot of people in Dunnes when shopping and I can only imagine the look on their faces when they were unloading their trollies at the checkout to find items that they did not need or put in their trollies themselves.

"My dad would have dropped items into their trolly while talking to them.

“He was always playing practical jokes on us and his friends and that was one of the reasons that we loved him so much,” Ronan added.