Tributes to Bury Town FC stalwart Brian Wadsworth
Former Bury Town FC director and long-time supporter and volunteer Brian Wadsworth. Picture: ALAN WAINWRIGHT - Credit: Alan Wainwright
Tributes have been paid to a former director and long-standing fan of Bury Town Football Club who has died at the age of 81.
Bury Town FC chairman Russell Ward described Brian Wadsworth as a "true servant" to the club. Picture: TUDOR MORGAN-OWEN.
Brian Wadsworth, of Great Barton, died in West Suffolk Hospital on Friday September 4.
In a tribute on the club’s website, his friend and fellow club volunteer Alan Wainwright said Mr Wadsworth was being treated at West Suffolk Hospital at the time of his death.
“On Thursday morning, I received a text from Brian’s wife to say that Brian had suffered a cardiac arrest on Wednesday evening and was deeply unconscious; he didn’t recover from that, and this morning (Saturday), Joan informed me Brian had passed away on Friday night.
“Brian had many friends down at the club, and we’re all going to miss him.”
Mr Wadsworth was originally from Great Yarmouth and was married to Joan. They were together for more than 40 years and both had children from previous partners. They also have seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
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A promising footballer as a teenager, Mr Wadsworth played as a goalkeeper for his local team in Great Yarmouth.
After National Service in the Royal Air Force he worked for British Sugar as a manager in a career that took him took him to Iraq, Poland, Romania and China.
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He moved to Bury St Edmunds in 1978 when he joined the town’s British Sugar plant and, although a dedicated Arsenal fan, began supporting Bury Town.
He became a club volunteer and its press officer, writing the team’s match reports and club notes for the Green ‘Un website under the pseudonym Sugar Daddy in reference to his former employers.
Mr Wadsworth sat as a director between 2007 and 2012 and club chairman Russell Ward described him as “a great servant to the club”.
“It’s very sad news. I knew Brian had been ill for some time and sadly he took a turn for the worse,” he said.
“He was a supporter who moved up to the boardroom as a director, and even when he stood down we always took him with us into the boardrooms at other clubs because he had been such a good servant and ambassador.”
Mr Ward said he felt the club would do something to honour Mr Wadsworth.
He believed a fitting tribute would a minute’s applause before the club’s first home game of the season.
He said: “A minute’s applause, not silence, in recognition of everything he has done would certainly be apt.”
