- We want to thank Ray Smallcombe who wrote this in 2016, for a This is Your Life, ! Such a lovely biography to remember Dad with -
A few weeks ago Ken asked me if I could stand up and tell the club a few things that most of you probably don’t know about Clive, "you know", he said, "just fill in for a few minutes".
I suppose having known the old bugger for some 50 odd years it could be difficult to “Just fill in for a few minutes” I could tell you a whole lot, but I will only tell you the good things because I would not have sufficient time to tell you the dodgy things
I wondered how to do it and in what order so I have categorised the talk into several sections, I am I feel sure his closest friend, friend loosely and closest because he lives next door
Over the years he obviously developed many friendships in the clubs he has joined Service Clubs, Cricket Clubs, Football Clubs, Rugby Clubs, etc, a few special characters I can remember John Lyons, Roy Ellison, Walter Farquharson, Reggie Totman and of course his soul mate Dobbin. Dobbin, well there’s a name you rarely find outside of a field, I never knew his real name. I am sure it was not really at Clive’s behest that half of them seem to have taken refuge in other Countries, as we have all valued his friendship.
Clive was brought up in the London area of Sheppard’s Bush, lived through the war years in the area born May 1939, went through the war years in London, which could not have been easy, two wonderful parents of which I know he was proud Bill & Elsie, good family of brothers Colin and Joe, who always seemed to look out for each other. Not sure if Hitler was aware of him but something started the bloody war off in 1939.
Perhaps I could start with what I think was his biggest passion in life and that being his sporting life.
Cricket, Boxing, Football, Squash and in later years once he retired from Football he took up Rugby and now with the odd gentle game of Boules.
I first met Clive through sport, he came to Grays Athletic in the early sixties while I was already there as a player, he joined the club eventually taking on the Captaincy of Grays, that of course is when Grays were a good side. The club occasionally benefitted from some of his previous footballing friends, Reggie Totman I remember coming to Grays who was an old friend of Clive’s, and of course brother Joe, Clive can also claim to the odd name drop; he played on a regular basis at one of the most famous cricket grounds in the world, The Oval, unfortunately Clive played football there not cricket. He played for Corinthian Casuals before coming to Grays. George Cohen world cup winner in 1966 was a mate of Clive’s, who some of you may recall played in the same team as Johnny Haynes (Fulham) the first £100.00 a week footballer, regrettably he was not able to get either of them to Grays
Brenda is always amazed that I can recall odd moments in my sporting career, of odd incidents that happened many many years ago, and I am sure anybody here that has played sport will have some similar memory traits. I clearly remember one incident that happened on Grays Rec. when Banbury decided to combine two of his sports at the same time; it must have been about 1965 when we were both playing on the Rec. not sure what happened other than a minor spat about a throw in on the western side of the pitch, Banbury decided right was on his side so he then threw a right hook flooring the bloke who wanted his throw in. I remember my thoughts as I saw the episode unfold, which were, f**k me we are about to go down to 10 men, and we did.
Clive always gave his best for any team he played for, obviously his best was not always good enough as can be said for all of us but I also remember a few incidents where he excelled, he will I am sure remember those same incidents. On one occasion I had talked Clive into guesting for my regular side the R A F A C.C. and we played at Darenth Park in Kent, which at the time was a mental hospital as they called them in those days. I am not sure if Clive ever scored a hundred, he probably did but on this occasion he scored a brilliant 77 and was I felt the best knock I had seen him play, on another occasion playing against Tilbury at the Daisy Field in about 1968 he held a catch in the gully that could only be described as brilliant, any pro would have been proud of it.
I remember on another occasion when we were playing for Round Table at Felsted in what Round Table organised as a days limited over’s cricket, we always had a very good side of which Clive played a big part, it was necessary for all of the players to be able to bat and also bowl. Well we came up one year against I believe Billericay Table who had an extremely large bearded fellow who had taken our bowlers well to task, and had got Billericay to within 30 or so runs of our total in very short order, give me the ball says Banbury to me, I will sort out this son of a bitch. So with only around some 30 or so runs to get, this guys innings had been run (according to Banbury), 5 balls later and 30 runs worse off we capitulated, Banbury was a good Bat and fielder but bowling was not his forte.
Clive has always been at the forefront of organisations, from his job as a civil engineer at Thurrock Council, organising the Nalgo cricket team, being involved in Rambling (walking not talking), a Chairman of Round Table, President of Rotary, President of 41 Club, Currently on the Board of Palmer’s college. Captain of various cricket and football teams, Secretary of the Allotment Association, and also in latter years Referee organiser for the Rugby club, and still heavily involved in the Rugby club, his pay back to the community has been far and away beyond the call of duty. He even took me into Round Table in 1973. And is organiser in chief of 41 Club
We are all aware that Clive has not been in the best of health over the past few years but it has not stopped him completing rugby tours to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa as well as a sevens Rugby tour to Dubai, having been fitted with a pace-maker some short time ago, he now doubles up as the bionic man.
If I may say in closing, having left probably the most important item in his life till last is the fact that despite his ailments he has faced up well to all of the problems and most noticeably of all faced up to these problems without Carol who so sadly passed away now some 10 years ago, followed also by his beloved Joanne. They were both sadly missed by all who knew them. Clive is proud of his younger family his two daughters and his numerous Grandchildren and I know from first hand experience that they too are proud of their ol’ man.