Friends of a sporting veteran facing a paupers’ funeral are fund raising to give Ted Burridge a fitting send off.
The 84-year old former Fareham sportsman died a fortnight ago leaving no family or funds to pay for his funeral which takes place at St John’s Church, St Michael’s Grove, Fareham, PO14 1DN this Friday, 11.15am.
The Royal British Legion has launched gofundme.com/help-ted-burridge to raise £3,000 to ensure Ted gets the send off he deserves.
Ted, who served in the RAF at the Suez Canal in Egypt in his National Service in the mid-1950s, was a goalkeeper for numerous teams, including ASWE, Olympian, Fareham United, Centipedes, Park Lane Old Boys and more recently manager/bucket and sponge man with the Gosport Sunday League club Achilles.
He loved his non-league soccer too and, if there was a midweek evening game to go and watch at some obscure out-of-area venue, never rule out Ted not being there, if he could thumb a lift. He loved his football and was hugely known and liked across a wide area.
In the summer months, he kept wicket for the Good Intent and Park Lane. Once retired, he took up umpiring, became qualified and officiated for Gosport Borough CC and, at least twice weekly, in the old midweek Sarisbury Green 16-over Knockout competition
But it was his wonderful allegiance with the Royal British Legion and Pompey for which Ted will be best remembered.
He was a lifelong Pompey fan, travelling the length and breath of the country to follow the Blues for over 50 years. He used to organise his own supporters coach and would have visited all 92 (more now) Football League grounds countless times over, probably supporting Pompey !
Ted was famous for his handle bar moustache and selling poppies in the Fareham Shopping Precinct every November, raising as much as £10,000 alone from his pitch each year. He was a truly wonderful supporter of the RBL and, overall, a great guy.
The Royal British Legion, who are planning Ted’s Friday farewell, have already received a positive response to their fund raising appeal gofundme.com/help-ted-burridge and look forward to meeting many of his sporting friends either at the funeral or the wake at the Duke of Connaught’s Own Club in Western Road, Fareham, PO16 0NS from noon onwards.
The 84-year old former Fareham sportsman died a fortnight ago leaving no family or funds to pay for his funeral which takes place at St John’s Church, St Michael’s Grove, Fareham, PO14 1DN this Friday, 11.15am.
The Royal British Legion has launched gofundme.com/help-ted-burridge to raise £3,000 to ensure Ted gets the send off he deserves.
Ted, who served in the RAF at the Suez Canal in Egypt in his National Service in the mid-1950s, was a goalkeeper for numerous teams, including ASWE, Olympian, Fareham United, Centipedes, Park Lane Old Boys and more recently manager/bucket and sponge man with the Gosport Sunday League club Achilles.
He loved his non-league soccer too and, if there was a midweek evening game to go and watch at some obscure out-of-area venue, never rule out Ted not being there, if he could thumb a lift. He loved his football and was hugely known and liked across a wide area.
In the summer months, he kept wicket for the Good Intent and Park Lane. Once retired, he took up umpiring, became qualified and officiated for Gosport Borough CC and, at least twice weekly, in the old midweek Sarisbury Green 16-over Knockout competition
But it was his wonderful allegiance with the Royal British Legion and Pompey for which Ted will be best remembered.
He was a lifelong Pompey fan, travelling the length and breath of the country to follow the Blues for over 50 years. He used to organise his own supporters coach and would have visited all 92 (more now) Football League grounds countless times over, probably supporting Pompey !
Ted was famous for his handle bar moustache and selling poppies in the Fareham Shopping Precinct every November, raising as much as £10,000 alone from his pitch each year. He was a truly wonderful supporter of the RBL and, overall, a great guy.
The Royal British Legion, who are planning Ted’s Friday farewell, have already received a positive response to their fund raising appeal gofundme.com/help-ted-burridge and look forward to meeting many of his sporting friends either at the funeral or the wake at the Duke of Connaught’s Own Club in Western Road, Fareham, PO16 0NS from noon onwards.
