Long Melford Football Club pays tribute following deaths of four former players in one month
A long-serving stalwart of Long Melford Football Club, who is the fourth former player to have died in less than a month, has been remembered as a devoted husband and an avid seeker of knowledge.
A funeral service took place in St Andrew’s Church in Great Cornard last week for Paul Hurrell, who died on December 14, aged 79.
Club alumni then gathered at The Five Bells pub to share their memories of Mr Hurrell, who was born and raised in Long Melford and played for the village’s football and cricket teams.
After his playing career, he served as a football club officer for 20 years, emulating his father, Arthur, who had also been an official at Stoneylands for three decades.
Honorary club president Richard Kemp said: “Paul was an avid book reader and a gleaner of knowledge. A great fan of the quiz world, he appeared twice on the TV quiz programme 15 to 1 and ended up in the last three each time.
“He was a devoted husband to the late Angie, who had a penchant for quizzes, too, and they were a formidable pair at any quiz night.”
The club has also paid tribute to fellow former players Arthur Kemp, John Ford and John Abbott, all of whom died in December, at the ages of 87, 86 and 85, respectively.
The club confirmed that the ashes of both Mr Kemp and Mr Ford will be forever made a part of the club’s grounds, when their ashes are scattered on Saturday.
Members of the public have been invited to observe the scattering of the ashes, which will take place as part of an open ceremony at around noon, ahead of the first team’s match against Walsham-le-Willows at 3pm.