Bob Wyton

Tributes

Thankyou for letting me know the sad news. I was in the same year as Bob. He was an outstanding schoolboy footballer and captain of our winning Lipton Cup team.

John Lockhart

How very sad. He was an immediate contemporary of mine and a great school friend. He lived, as I did, in north Chingford and we saw a lot of each other outside of school hours in Ridgeway Park where we (and other Monovians) spent many an evening hour flirting with girls from Walthamstow High School! Sadly, I lost touch with him after my national service and have not seen him in over fifty years. He was the school's outstanding sportsman at the time with a natural talent for all ball games. He was also an athlete of distinction.

Barry Jackson (1947-52)

I was at Monoux with Bob and played football with him. He was a very talented player. I did not see Bob after I Ieft school in 1952 our paths never crossed.Sad news.

Alan Billingham.

Football tennis and cricket were my passions when I first came to Monoux and my future was built on the sport fields of our school. Yes I met Bob Wyton and as a kid at a senior school he was a person the younger children could look up to as an example to try and emulate. How many of us benefited, without his knowledge, by trying to follow his example on and off the playing fields. No, I didn't know him well but he was one of those people that helped build character in others. I have lived my life to it's fullest and for the past 41 years I have lived the American Dream and much can be attributed to my early days at a great learning institution-the teachers of course had an influence on my life but it was the Bob Wyton's that really made the difference. How far Society has fallen when children of today no longer have the opportunity to attend Monoux. Our culture was built in our homes and in schools like Monoux and today we see the results of the closing of those schools! Bob-thank you

Derek John Repath.

I was surprised and saddened to hear the news of Bob Wyton's passing. He will always remain in my mind's eye as a first-class sportsman, especially at tennis, one whom we younger boys looked up to with admiration and respect. Please pass on my condolences to his family.

John Webster (1951-1958)

Isn't that extraordinary and sad: I'm sitting here at the computer, an hour before Bob's funeral is due to take place, having spent three days in London - the Paralympics and visits to my sister-in-law and aunt, both 90 - and Essex, staying at my sister's house in Ongar and looking through a box of old photos. One which I spent a lot of time looking at was of the Monoux football team, with Bob, the captain, sitting in the middle at the front. This was the all-conquering team, scoring 165 goals in the season and losing only once, to the Old Monovians (and then by a humiliating 7-1). It brought back a lot of happy memories, one of them being the inspiration that Bob provided. He had come back to school after about two years out with an illness that had set him back academically, as far as I can recall, and it must have been tough for him, having to re-sit exams and at the same time lick the school team into shape. This he did to great effect, and that year (was it 1956-7?) was memorable for the hard training he put us through with humour and encouragement, the great team spirit he engendered - and of course the fantastic results. A lovely man, who will be greatly missed. My sympathy goes out to his family.

Michael McColgan

I am good friends with Michael Twyman, who was head boy four years ahead of me at Monoux and a fine athlete amongst many other things, and who incidentally became one of my professors some years later. I thought Bob’s family might be interested in seeing this little snippet from him, and you might also pass on the comment I sent yesterday if you’d be kind enough. As I said to my wife, Bob spoke to the good angel hidden in me, as I think he did for others. Monoux in the fifties had a post-war, gritty side to it (which to me straight off the boat from India I found both threatening and exotic), and a timeless, best of all possible worlds, generous side. Bob took the first in his stride and represented the very best of the second and doubtless continued to do so for the rest of his life. I loved him as a brother before his accident, even more after it. I’m sure he’s up there organising the teams and making people feel good about themselves. He will undoubtedly rest in peace, his course is done.

Geoff Staines

I do indeed remember Bob Wyton. We played footy together, though he was a year or so younger than me. He was taken on as a junior/trainee, or something along those lines by Walthamstow Avenue, who at that time were tops in the amateur world. I recall the speed with which he moved, which put him in a different class from everyone else I had ever played with or against. We had a match together against the Old Monovians including Doug Insole) and that was an eye-opener too - boys v. men.