Retired Centaur John Pollen has passed on. He was diagnosed with ALS and declined rapidly in recent months.
John was part of the Centaurs some 20 years ago and was one of a trio of the best athletes we’ve been blessed to play with – John, Mike Farrell and Paul Bowden. During that era, we toppled all the local giants – Gorge, Athletics, Bays, Lakehill. John also had a quick temper and managed to earn a 6 game suspension from Peter Songhurst in a memorable game at Vic High [all without profanity!] – as I recall all 3 Farrell brothers were playing that day.
Perhaps the most telling memory about John was that he decided that he didn’t like who he became when his temper got involved – and he retired from soccer for that reason. Many of us could learn from his example.
John Pollen Obituary (2024) - Victoria, BC - The Times Colonist (legacy.com)