• Welcome to the ShrimperZone forums.
    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which only gives you limited access.

    Existing Users:.
    Please log-in using your existing username and password. If you have any problems, please see below.

    New Users:
    Join our free community now and gain access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and free. Click here to join.

    Fans from other clubs
    We welcome and appreciate supporters from other clubs who wish to engage in sensible discussion. Please feel free to join as above but understand that this is a moderated site and those who cannot play nicely will be quickly removed.

    Assistance Required
    For help with the registration process or accessing your account, please send a note using the Contact us link in the footer, please include your account name. We can then provide you with a new password and verification to get you on the site.

It is with a heavy heart that Geoff (shrimpfan) and I have to report the death of Richard Fugl (blue scorpion) last weekend aged 65. For those that don't know Richard here are a few details.

Richard lived in the Park Street area originally (later Inverness Avenue not sure after that) and went to Westcliff high school while his brother Robert Fugl went to Southchurch as did Geoff and I, and through a love of Southend United I came to know Richard. Soon we were regulars on the Youth Section Coaches to away games going to the delights of Darlington, Workington etc. Robert was a big lad but Richard was a giant in comparison and was often known as "big Richard". He always liked a drink and only those with a suicidal tendencies would try to keep up with him.

Robert was the wild one in his younger days and it was Richard trying to calm things down and it was a huge surprise when Robert joined the police and had a very successful career, however I share the distinction with Richard and Robert of being thrown out of two police bars(Oxford training centre and Southend Vic Avenue).

I hitch-hiked to the Munich Beer festival with Richard, the attraction for him was the Beer not the Germanic way of life.

Richard was one of the Shrewsbury eight mentioned previously http://www.shrimperzone.com/vb/showthread.php?88861-Have-you-been-to-Shrewsbury

Another of our group was Keithie (Gus) Summers and in the late 60s and early 70s the Spread was our local and many a few pints were downed there. After Keith's sad passing some ten years ago we organised several memorial away days to the first being Notts County which was full of incident.

Richard sat in the West Stand and would go out the back at half time for a fag, it was there that the last words he said to me was "Notts County what a day that was" with a twinkle in his eye.

Another good mate sadly missed.


Such sad news.

I had lost touch with Richard Fugl over the years, but the memories are still there.

The trip to the Munich Oktoberfest, the away outing to Shrewsbury and countless other excursions. And, of course, even more countless pints of beer. The days when the Spread was run as a "proper" pub by Reg in his inimitable style.

I seem to remember that the last match poor old Gus went to was a cup tie against Scarborough at Roots hall which was bloody awful and anyone who attended that would have had something to moan about.
To make matters worse, we lost the replay and I believe that Scarborough went on to play chelsea in the next round.

So spoke Richard about Keith Summers, a while back. No consolation at all but at least Richard went out on a much better note with the Coventry game.

Condolences and RIP Richard.
 
A little anecdote:

Robert had joined the police and been away on a 13 week training course in Oxfordshire, with hair cuts first thing every Monday morning. At the end of the course was a passing out parade on a Thursday and it was agreed that Richard and I would go down for the parade and four others to come for the weekend in Oxford.

The passing out parade was outside and quite boring with speeches etc but then they had a demonstration which was quite unreal. Their must have been about 200 rookie policemen dressed in leather jackets and wigs to hide their shaved heads. These were the rioters, rioting as you do for no particular reason and two policemen arrived trying to quieten the situation. The rioters getting more agitated by this the police called for back-up and three van loads of police arrived. We then watched all 250 trying to knock hell out of each other it was hilarious, but the trouble was there was no conclusion we expected the police to take control but we lead away for tea and sandwiches while the battle went on. I can only compare it to the time that Sammy the Shrimp took the Army unarmed combat team at half time in a match.

Early evening Richard and I met Robert in a nice country pub, it was quiet but with a dart board very pleasant. However Robert said would we mind going to the Police bar as he wanted to say good-bye to some people, we of course agreed. However we were alarmed when we arrived and Robert kicked the door open. Sitting was about 20 rookies singing rugby
songs. "Right you lot, we have a few scores to settle I believe" said Robert very menacingly. Their was a pause as the 20 rose, Robert enticed them and Richard and I wondering what we had let ourselves in for. A high ranked police officer stepped in and let Robert know that if he didn't leave immediately his career would be over before it started. Richard and I dragged him out and returned to the pub.

Robert was an aggressive lad but his role in the police was ideal, a few weeks later Robert was headlines in the Standard "Hero PC saves Yacht Disco" when he single handed took a group of lads on and they fled.

Sad to relate that of the trio I am the only one left alive.
 
Learnt today that he referred to me as "Blue Rinse"! :stunned:

Clearly a sense of humour!
 
Very sad news. I spent many an hour in the company of this smashing bloke who had a tremendous sense of humour.

He could certainly tell a story and he will be missed by all who knew him.

I am sure he is up there ordering another pint of"diabetic"beer with Gus and watching yesterday's antics with a smile.

I would like to thank him for his donations over many years to help the Zone going.

RIP Big Man with the ill heart.
 
The irony is that Richard is currently lying at rest in Colchester Hospital, prior coming home to Southend, and him and Gus will chuckle about this.
 
I think,being a police officer or soldier you MUST be at times aggressive..but as he seemed,they-he must always be in control
 
Peter, i dont know if it was the same person we are now writing about but...
think it was Peterbrough away,league cup ???27.8 75 ???midweek game..anyway i hitched it to the game with my mate ,at the time!!!, Paul Edw.... then at the end of the game saw Micky.B who said they driven to the game,but you know him,saidthey would drive us home.
We should meet up in the pboro club bar (shrimpers) after the game,no probs lift...
Well after the game ,dont think the rest of the car were that happy,but,Mick said.!!!.cannot remember,but think there was already 3 in the motor,so we met there...as we all waited,we (paul&myself was not drinking),i went to the toilet...seeing the changing rooms were next to them..there was a big basket(Pboro), in it was the used pufc shirts,so i borrowed one,sticking it up my jumper,then going back to the bar.....
Anyway ,then sitting there ,with the other 3...the driver (i think) kept looking at Paul..he then said "dont i know you"Paul replied "dont think so"....he then said didnt i arrest you a few months before(for what ever)..he had...so there was i,with a borrowed footie shirt,up my jumper,mate who had been arrested by this police officer, who was going to drive us home!!!
What a feeling...happy days ..only the best
 
Still got the shirt hanging on my wall,with my SUFC one and borrowed Exeter one:smile:
 
Dear fellow Shrimpers. Richard's funeral will be held in the small chapel at Southend Crematorium on Wednesday 16th March at 12.20pm and after at the Royal Naval Association in East Street, all are welcome to the service and the wake. Let us send one of us off in style, as we did for Gussie.
 
Dear fellow Shrimpers. Richard's funeral will be held in the small chapel at Southend Crematorium on Wednesday 16th March at 12.20pm and after at the Royal Naval Association in East Street, all are welcome to the service and the wake. Let us send one of us off in style, as we did for Gussie.

For those going tomorrow no flowers please but donations to Little Havens Hospice if you wish. See you tomorrow, Geoff.
 
Richard had a good send off today thanks to Geoff and Mrs Geoff for organising, just got back a little the worse for wear. They asked me if I would post the tribute to Richard that I read out during the service:

RICHARD WILLIAM FUGL was born in Southend in 1950, the eldest son of Victor and Betty Fugl and had a younger brother Robert. Richard went with his brother to Avenue Road, Pre-school where they met Geoff and Chris Bowmen and then later they all went to Victoria Avenue Primary School and fifty years later they were still friends. I met Richard a little later as I went to school with his brother, and later I along with the Fugls and the Bowmans started going on the coaches to watch Southend United play away and it was here that Richard made other great friends like Keith, Charlie, John, Richard P Nobbler. etc. again friends that lasted a lifetime. Richard didn’t make friends easily, he didn’t want to, he didn’t suffer fools gladly, but once a friendship had been made it would last and he was remarkably loyal.

For those that went on those Southend United coaches with Richard and others with a shared love of Southend United, will all have vivid memory of the trips, many leaving overnight on Friday nights to such wonderful places as Darlington, Workington, Halifax, Rochdale, Swansea etc.

In the early 1970s Richard and I hitch hiked to the Munich Beer Festival, but I must confess it wasn’t the Germanic way of life that interested him, although he was impressed by beer being served in litre mugs rather than pint mugs. He stayed late one night and got a taxi back simply saying “Camping Platz”, unfortunately the driver took him to the wrong one and when he eventually arrived at the correct one he was quite upset at how much he had been charged, mind you it had been a 20 mile detour. Richard would recall the story many times each time with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

I remember one Friday night being in the Spread when Southend weren’t playing the next day as they had been knocked out of the Cup. “How about hitch hiking to Liverpool?” he said, “when” I said “now” he replied. So off we went and reached Liverpool in one lift, from a lorry arriving at the docks early morning. We helped the driver unload his lorry, had breakfast in a transport cafe with the driver, helped a stranger push his broken down car. Richard was in his element. When it came to football Richard went to see Liverpool while I went to see Everton. The journey home was harder but we were entering London early Sunday Morning when the van we had a lift in was stopped by the Police. “Where have you lads been” they asked, at the same time Richard said Liverpool and I said Everton. The policeman took some convincing but eventually believed that we weren’t the two lads escaped from borstal that they were looking for. “That’s what I get for travelling with someone as shifty as you” said Richard.

Richard used to go to the Spread on a Sunday lunchtime and meet a blind man Duggie who would be there with his guide dog. However the time came when he had to have a new dog as the current one was getting too old, Duggie was heartbroken. Richard stepped in and took over the old dog and every Sunday would take him to the Spread to meet Duggie and his new dog.

When he left Southend he became a post master and general store keeper in a village called Stewkley just outside Leighton Buzzard. The reason behind being a post master in a village was because his favourite television programme was All Creatures Great and Small. He could not become a vet but he could be a post master. He became the King pin of the village with his sense of humour and friendly disposition. .After his step-dad died they had a fire at the property soon after which made them move on. They then moved to Wenhaston near to Dunwich, Suffolk. Later after his mother died he returned to Southend, first to Eastwood and then Westcliff.

We were all shocked by the early death of Keithie (Gus) Summers, and at his wake we decided to have a series of Memorial Away matches to remember Keith. The first was to Notts County and the years seemed to have rolled back and we were the same group of youngsters again, it was a wonderful day one which Keith would have approved of and was followed by several following outings. Who knows we could have similar trips for Richard.

His brother Robert sadly also passed away a couple of years ago, it seems harsh that three of our group have gone at such an early age. The last words that Richard said to me was “Do you remember Notts County, what a day” with that twinkle in his eye.

Richard was a good mate, a giant in every sense of the word
 
Richard had a good send off today thanks to Geoff and Mrs Geoff for organising, just got back a little the worse for wear. They asked me if I would post the tribute to Richard that I read out during the service:

RICHARD WILLIAM FUGL was born in Southend in 1950, the eldest son of Victor and Betty Fugl and had a younger brother Robert. Richard went with his brother to Avenue Road, Pre-school where they met Geoff and Chris Bowmen and then later they all went to Victoria Avenue Primary School and fifty years later they were still friends. I met Richard a little later as I went to school with his brother, and later I along with the Fugls and the Bowmans started going on the coaches to watch Southend United play away and it was here that Richard made other great friends like Keith, Charlie, John, Richard P Nobbler. etc. again friends that lasted a lifetime. Richard didn’t make friends easily, he didn’t want to, he didn’t suffer fools gladly, but once a friendship had been made it would last and he was remarkably loyal.

For those that went on those Southend United coaches with Richard and others with a shared love of Southend United, will all have vivid memory of the trips, many leaving overnight on Friday nights to such wonderful places as Darlington, Workington, Halifax, Rochdale, Swansea etc.

In the early 1970s Richard and I hitch hiked to the Munich Beer Festival, but I must confess it wasn’t the Germanic way of life that interested him, although he was impressed by beer being served in litre mugs rather than pint mugs. He stayed late one night and got a taxi back simply saying “Camping Platz”, unfortunately the driver took him to the wrong one and when he eventually arrived at the correct one he was quite upset at how much he had been charged, mind you it had been a 20 mile detour. Richard would recall the story many times each time with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

I remember one Friday night being in the Spread when Southend weren’t playing the next day as they had been knocked out of the Cup. “How about hitch hiking to Liverpool?” he said, “when” I said “now” he replied. So off we went and reached Liverpool in one lift, from a lorry arriving at the docks early morning. We helped the driver unload his lorry, had breakfast in a transport cafe with the driver, helped a stranger push his broken down car. Richard was in his element. When it came to football Richard went to see Liverpool while I went to see Everton. The journey home was harder but we were entering London early Sunday Morning when the van we had a lift in was stopped by the Police. “Where have you lads been” they asked, at the same time Richard said Liverpool and I said Everton. The policeman took some convincing but eventually believed that we weren’t the two lads escaped from borstal that they were looking for. “That’s what I get for travelling with someone as shifty as you” said Richard.

Richard used to go to the Spread on a Sunday lunchtime and meet a blind man Duggie who would be there with his guide dog. However the time came when he had to have a new dog as the current one was getting too old, Duggie was heartbroken. Richard stepped in and took over the old dog and every Sunday would take him to the Spread to meet Duggie and his new dog.

When he left Southend he became a post master and general store keeper in a village called Stewkley just outside Leighton Buzzard. The reason behind being a post master in a village was because his favourite television programme was All Creatures Great and Small. He could not become a vet but he could be a post master. He became the King pin of the village with his sense of humour and friendly disposition. .After his step-dad died they had a fire at the property soon after which made them move on. They then moved to Wenhaston near to Dunwich, Suffolk. Later after his mother died he returned to Southend, first to Eastwood and then Westcliff.

We were all shocked by the early death of Keithie (Gus) Summers, and at his wake we decided to have a series of Memorial Away matches to remember Keith. The first was to Notts County and the years seemed to have rolled back and we were the same group of youngsters again, it was a wonderful day one which Keith would have approved of and was followed by several following outings. Who knows we could have similar trips for Richard.

His brother Robert sadly also passed away a couple of years ago, it seems harsh that three of our group have gone at such an early age. The last words that Richard said to me was “Do you remember Notts County, what a day” with that twinkle in his eye.

Richard was a good mate, a giant in every sense of the word
Many Thanks Peter, a very fitting tribute.
 
Thanks all for the kind messages.. My uncle(Richard) & dad(Robert) were a sad loss to us all. Both died in there 60s
special thanks to Geoff beoman & Peter baker both knew them for over 50 years

Gareth
 
Back
Top