Thetownend.com

Hi all

I have just had Sutton’s wife on the phone.

Unfortunately I have the unfortunate task of having  to tell you all he passed away yesterday.
I have asked her to keep me in the loop with arrangements.

RIP Paul you will be missed

Oh fuck so sorry to hear this, RIP Sutton :(

Terrible news  :(
RIP Sutton

RIP Kingston Robin

I never met you, but you, like Reg are internet Town family.

I'm so sorry for your friend and families loss.

Fuck sake, RIP fella.

Bit of a shock reading that. I've had the misfortune of following poor Paul's story through Ollie on our Watsapp group and the guy had been through the absolute ringer with Covid. The guy clearly fought  bravely through an incredibly difficult time and to even get home from hospital I hope was some blessing for his wife and family.

He'll be greatly missed, a larger than life character. RIP Paul.

Very sad. RIP mate

Met him away at Southend a few years ago although neither of us knew who each other were at the time. Sorry to read this sad news. RIP Sutton x

Feared the worst for some time. Terrible news.

Thoughts with family and friends.

RIP Sutton

Sad sad news

RIP Sutton

Fucking hell, RIP Sutton.

That is shit.
RIP Sutton.

RIP Sutton

RIP.

RIP

RIP

Sad news indeed. RIP Sutton.

Sad news, RIP

Shit news.

RIP Sutton.

Sorry to hear that. RIP

Only met him once but always liked his view on things on here.

Condolences to his family and friends.

We'll certainly all miss your engaging contributions here.  Fun, direct but always light.

I can only guess how much more others closer to you will now miss you - but condolences to all.  RIP

Terrible news, thoughts with his family

RIP Sutton. Sincere condolences.

Wow, what a shocker...really sorry to hear that. Does anyone have a picture they can put up? I never knowingly met him but may at least have known him by sight...

Rubbish.  RIP Sutton.

RIP

Terrible news, we'll always have Charlie Austin's first league goal at Carlisle.  It was a great day out. RIP fella.

RIP

Ah that’s dreadful news. I never knew SR, however my heart aches when we lose a town fan. Another ‘family’ member lost. Rest in Peace mate, roar us on from the clouds.

So sad to hear this. Funny, knowledgeable forum member. RIP, sending love to his family.

Real sad news.

Would probably have known him if he used to frequent the games.
The Ollie referred to is that by any chance the lad who takes a big flag to some of the games and used to attend the away games in the old 4th Division?

More importantly we lose another Red and to friends and family my sincere best wishes and sorry for your loss.

Awful news. Didn’t know him but he’s clearly held in very high regard. Rip

Condolences to all his family and like many others I didn't know him but he's ovbiously very well respected on here.

This is horrible news.
Genuinely lovely funny intelligent bloke.

I really don't know what to say.

Tough this one, a true gent lost

RIP Sutton

RIP Sutton, too many on this forum the past few years :(

Very sad news, RIP Sutton.

RIP Fella! Really sad news


I had no idea Batch, from the thisis days?

Never knew him irl. Wish I had. You clearly battled long and hard man

Sleep well Sutton

Saddened to lose another TEF friend that I never had the pleasure of meeting. Thank you for being a virtual friend and condolences to your real life family and friends. RIP Sutton

Horrible news and a horrible day. But I feel I should clear this one up. Back in the MyOnlySwindon days none of us had met Kingston Robin, so we jokingly decided that Sutton Red was performing him as a character act.

This went on for a while until the real Kingston Robin turned up on a train from an away game (I forget which) and he became and still is an active member of the London Reds.

As was Sutton. He was a class bloke, I've many happy a memory of going to games with him and he was at every meet up to watch us on telly in the capital. Too many stories to share but my favourite is this.

Late on in the Di Canio season, I went to a home game, these outings usually saw me stumble home at some ungodly hour but on this occasion, I had promised my then partner I would get the first train back post-match and turn up at a reasonable hour.

This I attempted, hot-footing it at full time to Swindon station.

Unfortunately, there was an issue on the trains and we crawled into Reading after about two hours with no chance of getting to Paddington. I stood alone and forlorn on the platform trying to work out when the next train to Clapham Junction was while fielding increasingly hostile calls from home.

Just then another delayed Paddington bound train from Swindon stuttered into the station.

'Oi OI'.

 I turned around to see Sutton leaning out of the window grinning at me while clutching a half-consumed six pack. He, me and a couple of others drank these and more as we navigated our way back to South London's most populous rail terminal.

After that, things get hazy but I do have a vague recollection of being asked to leave The Falcon in Clapham Junction after Sutton and I stood on barstools to inform the, largely uninterested, Saturday night patrons of what happened in 1969 on 'League Cup Final Day' through the medium of song.

I finally staggered in circa midnight slurring my insistence that 'it wasn't my fault, blame the trains' and 'my mate [Sutton] said you could ring him and he would vouch for me'.

She didn't take me up on this offer and was distinctly unamused.

I was though. As I was every time I was in fortunate enough to be his pressence.

Sleep well my friend.

That's the one PWP, lovely memory mate!

RIP Sutton  :(

wait, I genuinly thought Sutton was KR and he'd bought a stooge along one day ..

well I never

The Ollie is me but not the person you are thinking of

Was he from Devizes?

👍

I know who you are on about. Phil?

If he's the one who used to be a proper punk, he was from West Lavington. I think his dad was our milkman! Decent lad. Does he still go to games?

Two of our old London Reds group now gone far too soon.  COVID is a bastard.  Couple of years on, I'm still struggling to get my head around how it can take such a robust, larger than life figure like Sutton.

The memory that stands out more than others for me was the moment he nearly sparked me out.  We were walking to the pub (the George IV) in Chiswick several hours before a Brentford game in the early 2000s.  I spotted him walking a short distance ahead and instinctively whacked him in the stomach with a rolled up newspaper in light-hearted greeting.  It was a gentle whack, but Sutton's reflexes kicked in and I was nearly on the end of a lamping.  Luckily for me - he was a big lad - he realised who had whacked him just in time.

I don't remember much else about that day other than Revell scored against us, again.

Yeah, that’s him.

Yeah, seen him a few times at away games this season.

I remember him being from Devizes as he went to Devizes school.
I used to go to games with him on Bodmin’s coaches.

Yeah me too. He and his gang used to occupy the back row. This would have been 80-81. Maybe you spat on me.  ;)

He still goes now, im friends with one of his mates - Pete Bee if you know who that is?

Terrible news. RIP Paul,top man

I remember a Pete, he was from Lacock?

That rings a bell, but from Lavington. So why was he known as Ollie?

If it’s who I’m thinking of, it’s because his surname was Oliver.
But I’m not convinced it’s the same person, although he was a punk, because I’m sure he was from Devizes as he was mates with my wife’s brother at school.

Well that's all very confusing. If only Sutton was here to sort it out - he knew everyone.

And don't spit at me again next time.

Absolutely top bloke Pete bee. I had many a hangover because of him on our away trips.

I won’t have spat at anyone,  I wasn’t a punk.

Another TEF mystery taken to another dimension. Not on the scale of the lingering mystery of Reg/Andy, where the anonymity was finally lifted after his passing. I find it great that some thought they new who Sutton was but actually didn't!

Pete Bee is a different person

I think Pete would find it quite funny if you called him Ollie! :D

Where was Pete Bee from?

I remember one of Ollie's mates that used to travel on their mini bus being Pete, I thought he was from Lacock

I believe hes from Market Lavington.

The last page or so reminds me of the old MOS days, Sutton would approve :) Reminds me, who was TownFish?

That’s the fella 😉

I didn’t know him when he was at school, only met him through Ollie many years later.

West, I think. Now his dad worked at my old school I think.

Could this story get any more interesting?

It wouldn't be difficult.

Yes, I met Ollie at Orient with his mates from Croatia, they were over to watch Dinamo play Spurs (or West Ham) the night after ;)

No idea I only remember Leroy and Riddel?

Now that is a typical day at football for me,love the story and the excuses, been there, done it, all part of a football fans day out,  RIP Sutton.

If anyone wants to send a card to the family feel free to PM me for the address

Cracking post.
It’s why I still do this home and away. Gone from the crazy lads getting up to all sorts of laughs to going with my lads and still meeting up with some of the old gang.
Those stories stay to the end, they numb the pain when results don’t work out and most of all they still raise a smile.
Mate you keep carrying his flag, it’s a loyal Supporter thing that never leaves me. We’ve lost a few and we’ve lost some real decent Supporters.

Love posts like this and not enough.
Never forgotten and watching from the 5th stand.

Hi all,

Sutton's funeral is next friday 6th of May.
If anyone would like to make a contribution towards their preferred charities (2 hospitals), please message me for my bank details and I will do a lump sum donation on the day in conjunction with the London Reds.

Thanks all.

Hi all

Thanks to all who donated - I have given it to his wife this evening. She was amazed with how much was raised

Thanks again

I meant several times to write to her in sympathy, couldn't find the words. which is shit.