To mark the 25th anniversary of the tragic passing of much-loved hockey goalkeeper, his former teammates have come together to create a joke book to raise awareness and funds for Meningitis Research Foundation.
Big Eddie’s Joke Book is a tribute to Eddie Rosen, son of children’s author and poet, Michael Rosen, who passed away from meningitis at the age of 18 in 1999, and has been inspired by his sense of humour and passion for storytelling.
The project is a limited edition run, priced at £7, and has gone on sale via Meningitis Research Foundation’s online shop. Supporters are encouraged to buy the book and share their favourite joke on social media using #BigEddiesJokeBook and #MeningitisAwareness.
Created by Eddie’s friends, former teammates from the Gunners Hockey Club and their families, the book is a celebration of his life and love of laughter. It is packed with jokes, limericks and a few stories, contributed by people of all ages whose lives have all been touched by Eddie’s larger-than-life personality.
Eddie was part of a youth hockey programme run by Arsenal in the Community. The team trained up to six times a week under their coach, Freddie Hudson. They shared countless jokes while travelling together by minibus, creating friendship bonds that remain to this day.
2024 marked the 25th anniversary of Eddie’s death and all proceeds from Big Eddie’s Joke Book will go to Meningitis Research Foundation - an international health charity headquartered in the UK, driven by a passionate mission to prevent the devastating impact of meningitis.
Freddie Hudson, Eddie’s former coach who is now Head of Arsenal in the Community, said: “A joke book is a fitting way to remember Eddie. Humour was at the heart of the Gunners Hockey set up and Eddie was a master. Knowing that people may find themselves smiling or chuckling over the jokes is a lovely way of keeping his memory alive.”
The joke book is the continuation of Eddie’s legacy, which sees his teammates reunite each year for an annual hockey match to celebrate his life and raise vital funds for the cause.
Eddie’s teammate and friend, Ollie Davies, from Haywards Heath, whose now eleven-year-old daughter, Maddie, illustrated the joke book, said: “One-liners poured from Eddie, he had us all in stitches whenever we were together. The fact that we still come together, year after year, in his name is a testament to the kind of person he was.
2024 marked the 25th anniversary of Eddie's passing. As the life and soul of our team, who would light up long bus journeys with humour and support us with nothing but positivity on the pitch, it seemed inappropriate to celebrate his memory in a manner that did not involve smiles and friendship. A communal joke book involving his friends, families and the next generation of Gunners hockey kids seemed perfect. Thank you to all involved who have got this off the ground."
To date, the team has raised over £14,000 hosting fundraisers, including race nights and tournaments and their annual hockey match to compete for a special trophy: Eddie’s goalie glove, holding a bottle of beer, mounted on a piece of wood.
Both Ollie and Eddie’s Dad, Michael, have also shared their experiences in Meningitis in your words – the world’s largest digital collection of meningitis experiences. Each story, told in people’s own words, aims to offer comfort and raise awareness and are part of an effort to collect 2,030 stories – a figure to reflect the World Health Organization’s Global Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030 and to help show international leaders the true impact of the disease.
Charlotte Ulett, Senior Events and Community Manager from Meningitis Research Foundation said: “Meningitis can strike anyone, anywhere at any time. Our vision is a world free from meningitis. We simply couldn’t do what we do without supporters like Ollie, Ben and their teammates. For more than two decades, they have poured time and energy into fundraising for their friend – raising awareness and vital funds.
What makes this joke book special is that it’s a touching tribute, giving everyone a glimpse of Eddie’s character and the fun he brought to those around him. Turning laughter into life-saving awareness is also a powerful way of keeping his legacy alive. Each smile and joke shared from the pages of this book is a fitting way of honouring Eddie’s memory while raising vital awareness.”
To purchase Big Eddie’s Joke Book visit: www.meningitis.org/big-eddies-joke-book. Once you’ve purchased your copy. spread the laughter by sharing your favourite joke using #BigEddiesJokeBook and #MeningitisAwareness.
To make a donation in Eddie's memory visit: www.meningitis.org/shop/donate.