Bees United wish to take this chance to rejoice the life and achievements of long-term supporter and Bees United member, Ron Fishlock, who handed away not too long ago, after over 80 years of loyal help of his native membership and falling simply in need of a century himself.
We’re indebted to his loving daughter, Chris, Ron’s child brother Dave, nonetheless going sturdy on the age of 92, and his good and expensive household good friend Bruce Shepherd, for his or her vivid, heat and loving recollections of Ron.
Born regionally in Brentford he noticed his first recreation at Griffin Park on the age of seven watching from New Highway and Ron was nonetheless a season ticket holder and attending matches practically 90 years afterward! Ron was a choir boy at St Lawrence Brentford boys’ faculty earlier than leaving St Paul’s faculty on the age of 14, little question utilizing his choral presents to raised impact behind the purpose at Griffin Park!
As a toddler he used to stroll to the bottom amassing associates and neighbours and relations (as nicely, in fact, sandwiches from his aunt) on the way in which there. Plenty of the household together with his grandparents lived inside 100 metres of Griffin Park, fortunately near the Princess Royal. He would additionally go by the bottom twice every day strolling to and from faculty – no marvel he grew to become a dedicated Bees fan!
He did his bit within the Second World Struggle as a member of the Brentford Dwelling Guard, B troop 73rd Middlesex primarily based in Gunnersbury Park earlier than serving within the military in Folkestone.
On October twentieth, 1945 he married Joyce in a wedding that may final all their lives collectively. Sadly, tragically their daughter Freda, born November 1946, died at simply over 4 1/2 months outdated, Christine grew to become a part of the household in December 1950 and was adopted in 1952.
Ron grew to become an apprentice after leaving faculty at 14, at, RN Pullin, specialist optical engineers, on the Golden Mile on the Nice West Highway. Ron lived for a few years in Park Highway Hanworth and remained with the identical firm for a while and after the battle, joined AGA (Navigation Aids) in Brentford, making lights for each lighthouses and lightships, and was an acknowledged professional of their design, service and restore and as such, his experience was broadly recognised and he traveled broadly to Persia (Iran) and Syria the place he made many associates.
Within the 1960’s, Ron left A.G.A. and have become the resident engineer at Borough Highway Faculty, Isleworth the place he labored till he retired and, nonetheless as a really eager footballer his brother Dave remembers that Ron performed soccer at lunchtime on the school enjoying subject with a number of Brentford footballers who then used the school enjoying subject as their coaching floor.
That should have been an unimaginable expertise kicking a ball round with established First Division stars given how profitable Harry Curtis’s pre-war staff was.
Ron was lucky sufficient to look at Harry Curtis’s nice staff of the mid to late 30s which took the First Division by storm and have become one in all London’s main groups.
Ron’s brother Dave keep in mind the 2 of them watching the Bees tackle, and as we did in these days, beat the mighty Arsenal and this match, specifically, on nineteenth April 1938, was the place Ted Drake was injured. Ted collided with Crozier, the Bees goalie and he wanted 5 stitches!
Amazingly Ted performed on bandaged within the 2nd half and the Each day Mail of nineteenth April 1938, “DRAKE, CARRIED OFF, PLAYS IN BANDAGES” had an actual go on the Bees supporters, saying, “Poor sportsmanship of the Brentford crowd spoiled my enjoyment of a terrifically quick recreation …. the gang wouldn’t give him an opportunity, and his each transfer was greeted with a refrain of booing from all components of the bottom…” Extra graciously, the Mail reporter went on to say, “… Brentford performed like a profitable staff from the beginning. Halves, and even backs, moved as much as help a intelligent, goal-hungry ahead line by which Eastham was at his dazzling finest…”
Dave remembers even in these days he was nonetheless small sufficient to be handed over the heads of older followers to the entrance of the terraces as was the customized in these days. Followers may change ends at halftime they usually usually managed to maneuver to the Brook Highway kop for the second half to assist suck within the Brentford targets.
Dave remembers that Ron’s final ever Brentford match was a couple of years in the past close to the top of the season, after they parked the opposite facet of the railway line and walked over the footbridge to the bottom. The Bees missed a vital penalty in the direction of the top of the match earlier than the opposite facet broke away and received the sport – it sounds ominously just like the notorious Doncaster Rovers match to me – what a option to log out if it was!
Over the course of his help of the Bees he skilled each the great and the dangerous instances and it’s becoming that his dedication was bookended with the membership being established and profitable within the prime echelon of the sport each within the mid to late 30s and naturally now.
Ron Fishlock exemplified every little thing that’s good about an individual. He was an enthralling, clever, quiet, softly spoken and totally respectable man. An actual gentleman in each which means of the phrase. He was completely loyal, form and unassuming and with out ego together with a well-developed sense of household and group.
He was a real supporter and I solely want I may have met him.
He will probably be sadly missed.
RIP Ron