Messages for Clydie

Monday, October 13, 2008

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Although we all knew Clydie’s days were numbered we all hoped that he would be with us for some tome to come. I only spoke to him on the Friday night before he died, he phoned his Bitch through to me and talking to him you really would not know that he was ill at all. Still cracking jokes and taking the p..s. He was so brave in his fight against the illness.
I have known Clydie for over 40 years . He was one of the 3 “Railway Children” Clydie, Robin & Mick were 3 guys who lived and worked for the British Railways (until some clever sod decided to privatise them ) they would travel the country and Europe on their BR passes resembling Compo, Cleggy and whats his name out of Last of the Summer Wine. I was fortunate enought to travel with Mick & Robin to see Clydie in Preston last month and I will treasure those last memories of him forever, wheeling him down to the local for a pint of Chimp Juice. Don’t forget Clydie, when we meet again mate it’s your round mate!!
In a way I am being selfish being so upset at Clydie’s passing, hopefully he is in a much better place and is now out of pain but I have lost a really good mate and a bloody good bloke, and it hurts.
God bless you Clydie it was an honour and pleasure to have known you and be seen as one of your mates (but not quite one of the Railway Children!)
Love Ray

Reggie Betts – 5th October

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Really sad news about Clydie. I remember his birthday trip to Belgium well, it was a great trip and a generous gift from Clydie for his friends.

Clydie was a lovely bloke, who often kept himself to himself, but was never short of a word of advice, or sharing some of his wealth of knowledge about the Saints.

It’s at times like these that being on the other side of the world is tough. It is sad that I will not be able to attend the funeral to show my respect to such a genuine and likeable person who was ‘Clydie’.

Gavin Wingfield - 4/10/08

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Saw the news about Clyde on the website this morning when looking for the Norwich Result. Not sure how to convey messages to blog etc.but wanted to record how I still hold fond memories of often bumping in to him as I came up to the meet for away games and being impressed the depth of his saints lore and how easily he slipped into sharing it in an affable way, even with us younger, more abrasive (if not show off) types.

I also remember the away trip to Anfield in the 5th round of the cup in 1990 when I think Clyde (and possibly "footballing" Robin) had bought a 3 litre box of cheap spanish red wine for the journey only to find the train had been assigned "dry". Whilst others were running round like headless chickens trying to see if it would fit in a left luggage locker, etc Clyde calmy bought some paper cups from WH SMiths and divided it into 36 of these, getting us all of to a bright start, at 0845 on a saturday.

Bob Manning - 2/10/08

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Didnt know him that well- but a true saints fan obviously - may he rest in peace and condolescences to his family.

Colin Riley - 2/10/08

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Clydie came on a number of the LSSC football tours - he particuarly liked the trips to Eastern Europe but along with Robin was never seen in a pair of boots.
His first was the mammoth trip to Prague in 1992 and in true tour tradition, Clydie along with a 3 or 4 other ‘virgin tourists’ were expected to perform a cabaret and entertain the rest of the party. Clydie came up with an improvised form of morris dancing that involved rubber plants and steins of lager and led his troupe through an hilarious, and surprisingly co-ordinated, form of the dance.
Also remember carrying him back to the hotel in Genoa - must have taken an hour to walk what should have taken 10 minutes - he had overdone it and giggled the whole way home!
What a character - not sure how he ever got away with that ‘tache for so long though!

Pete Berkeley – 2nd October

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I had a bad feeling when I saw the message ‘Missed Call from Brockie’
on my mobile last night. My fears were confirmed when I spoke to Brockie a few minutes later. Such sad news but as I was in the pub I could immediately raise my glass to Bob or Clydie as he was affectionately known inside the London Saints fraternity. He will be greatly missed by many and even Saints won on the day of his passing which would be a fitting tribute.

Others who knew him better than I will give more deserving tributes but I thought I’d pay my small tribute to a founder member of the London Saints who must have represented us in most team games other than football cos lets face it he wasn’t built for soccer, Bat and Ball being his game. I looked back at the old cricket scorebooks and, as I thought, there was the name of Weekes batting at Number 6 in the clubs first ever cricket match back in June 1981 . He was out for a duck, like all great London Saints cricketers on his debut but made a dramatic improvement in his next game with a score of 1 batting at No 13 !

Although he didn’t represent us at football (though I may be corrected for those who played before my time) he did come on many a football tour. One of the most memorable being his performance on the trip to Dublin (after having one too many chimp juices) he fell off his chair in the pub in Crewe before we had even left our shores. When we next visited Crewe on an away trip we got the landlord to pretend to remember him from the past trip and to tell him he was still barred for life from his pub. As he sat outside ‘ barred ‘ from the pub with the rest of us inside drinking his face was a picture - it was one of those you had to be there moments but one of the favourite memories for all who witnessed it.

At my wedding I made his place name out on the table to be Clydie Weekes to which my mother-in-law remarked ” that’s a strange name”. In the line-up going into the wedding dinner I told the mother-in-law everyones names before they came to her and when he shook her hand she said ” and you must be Clydie ” - to which he replied, after giving me a glance, ” No its Bob ” - You’ll always be Clydie to us and it was a name of affection because I don’t think I ever heard a bad word about him . Well perhaps 2 - one from the landlord of that pub in Crewe who barred him for about 15 mins before we let on and the other - Reg when Clydie pinched his best man’s speech, again at my wedding, just before Reg got up to speak - god bless you Clydie

DT – 1st October

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Just as I was about to set off yesterday afternoon for St Mary’s, I had a call from Linda Simmonds, sister of Bob. She gave me the very sad news that Bob had passed away in his sleep after a further deterioration in his condition last Thursday. Whilst we all knew Bob’s battle against cancer was one he would not win, nevertheless we had all hoped he might make it to Christmas or thereabouts. Indeed plans were only being discussed on the train to Doncaster last Saturday for a mass exodus to Preston on 1st November 2008 that would be centered around Bob and the Saints match at Deepdale.
Linda told me the lovely tale that, on the Monday evening, Bob had gone to sleep and had been talking / shouting in his sleep. Her husband, Stuart, heard Bob shouting “Come on, pass it, shoot - GOAL!” to which Stuart said “It must be a good dream but it can’t be about the Saints!” I think Bob would have liked to hear about that and no doubt would have made a witty come back to his brother-in-law.
I promissed Linda I would take on the role of letting his many friends in London Saints know of the sad news and, as it was now too late for me to get to St Mary’s (insignificant at that time in the grand scheme of things), I made around thirty calls and then may not have caught everybody perhaps I should have. Therefore I use Waterloo Sunset as a vehicle to spread the news to a wider forum.
Bob’s sister will be letting me know full details of his funeral. All I know at this stage is that it is provisionally on Friday 10th October 2008 at Charing Crematorium on the A20 Maidstone Road near Ashford, Kent. Charing has a station on the Victoria to Ashford via Maidstone East line and it is not more than a mile between the station and the Crematorium.
As far as London Saints go, we will be asked to attend in football tops. We will provide a guard of honour and we all know the main hymn, but how many know more than the first verse of “Oh when the Saints”? Bob will be resplendent in a Saints top to meet his maker and accompanied by various items of Saints memorabilia on his final journey to a better place.
As soon as I know more definite news about the arrangements, I will let everyone know. In the meantime, anyone wishing to sent sympathy cards / letters of condolence should address them to Mrs Linda Simmonds, 22 Wellfield Road, Lostock Hall, Preston PR5 5LQ.
God Bless You, Bob. Say hello to Bobby Stokes, Ted Bates, Bally and Ossie for us!

Martyn Brockwell – 1st October