Sad passing of popular and well-known Suffolk cricketer, golfer and footballer
John McNally, who was a well-known sportsman, has passed away, aged 85 - Credit: Archant
John McNally, who was a well-known sportsman in Suffolk, has passed away, aged 85, writes Nick Garnham.
After moving to Suffolk John, who was an opening batsman who sold his wicket dearly, played for Brantham, Felixstowe, Achilles and, latterly, Browns.
He captained Achilles 1st and 2nd XIs in the Two Counties Championship and he also played representative cricket for both the Suffolk and Two Counties Over-50s sides.
He was also connected with Ipswich CC through his late wife Andrea, who was a very good sportswoman.
John played football for West London amateur side Westonian for arounds ten years before moving to Suffolk, where he played as a centre forward for Saturday side Achilles and also turned out for Olive Leaf Heavies on a Sunday.
He had a period as chairman of the Achilles club, which included both the cricket and football sections, and also coached the Woodbridge Town Under-10s Bluebirds.
John was an accomplished golfer and was a member of Ipswich GC at Purdis Heath before joining Woodbridge GC in the 1980s and was captain from April 2016-17, the year after Andrea was ladies’ captain.
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John, who was a chartered accountant, was born on July 30th 1935 in Richmond, Surrey and after doing his articles in London opened a branch of the company in Suffolk which, with their agreement, he then set up as his own business, aged 30.
The highlight of his working career was acting as accountant for then Ipswich Town FC and future England manager Bobby Robson and several of the club’s players, including Bryan Hamilton, Allan Hunter and Brian Talbot.
Many of them, like Sir Bobby, became lifelong friends.
He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in December 2019 and battled defiantly against its debilitating effects thereafter. He contracted Covid-19 in mid-December and both this and complications of the myeloma led to him passing away in hospital on Christmas Day.
John is survived by Maria and Kate from his first marriage to the late Margaret, son Christopher having sadly passed away in 2004, and by James and Elisa from his second marriage to Andrea and eight grandchildren.
