1 of 1- Bog End Ultra
- Bog End Yoda
Offline - From: Under The Thumb in Kingston
- Registered: 08/4/2013
- Posts: 1,933
RIP AlanJ 'Ashtree' Richards
My good mate Alan passed away on Christmas Eve. Just like Gypsy Joe James and Geoff Gatt, he was Tooting & Mitcham to the core. He saw the football world through black & white striped tinted glasses and wouldn't hear a bad word said about the club. If Osama Bin Laden had been our benefactor he would've backed him to the hilt. Football mad, fantastic sense of humour, a lovely geezer, he was like an Ian Bullock on 8 pints of Stella. He was a prolific poster on this Forum for years. He used to drive me and Gypsy Joe to away games for years. Absolutely gutted to hear he's gone to that Bog End in the sky.
- Gary Walker
- Bog End Commander
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- Registered: 16/4/2023
- Posts: 130
Re: RIP AlanJ 'Ashtree' Richards
He was a brilliant man. He used to share his small flask of brandy on cold match days. He drove a black Mercedes that always looked shiny and brand new. A true gentleman. I remember him following me into the woods at a preseason game when I was investigating a woman being abused by a man. I looked around and Alan was there on my heels ready to help.
A true Tooting supporter who was friends with my grandad at Sandy Lane. He had a cockney accent but always a touch of class about him.
Very sad news.
RIP Alan me old mate.
- BernieTheBolt
- Bog End Bombardier
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- Registered: 28/3/2022
- Posts: 229
Re: RIP AlanJ 'Ashtree' Richards
Hello Boggie, gutted to hear about Alan, very much one of the old guard and on Christmas Eve too. I remember very well the Ashtree and Cricket conversations on here and Alan’s enthusiasm at the ground. I see what you mean, when you think of Joe and Geoff as well it’s a very sobering picture. All top blokes.
Hoping Alan’s family are as well as can be with this happening during the festive season, thoughts with them at a really hard time.
Cheers Alan, been a real pleasure.
These Fokkers were Messerschmitts
- Bog End Ultra
- Bog End Yoda
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- From: Under The Thumb in Kingston
- Registered: 08/4/2013
- Posts: 1,933
Re: RIP AlanJ 'Ashtree' Richards
A couple of people have been having trouble logging into the Forum and have asked me to post their memories of Alan for them, so here goes...
From Danny Collings
" So sorry to hear about Alan's passing, went to school with him at Western Road. He was one of our little gang that sat in the bar moaning before games. Me, Gypsy Joe, Geoff Gatt and Alan true gent, all these guys sadly missed."
And from Dave Irons
" A really decent bloke that knew his football. Would always be seen both home and away. R.I.P. Alan. "
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Thread Starter- Bog End Ultra
- Bog End Yoda
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- From: Under The Thumb in Kingston
- Registered: 08/4/2013
- Posts: 1,933
Re: RIP AlanJ 'Ashtree' Richards
BernieTheBolt wrote:
I remember very well the Ashtree and Cricket conversations on here
It used to be a good laugh on this Forum in those days Plumpers.
Alan was a season ticket holder at Old Trafford for many moons and despite residing in Surrey, used to drive to every Man Utd home game, even the mid-week ones. He confessed to me and Joe on our way to an away game that he wished he'd given up his season ticket years ago so that he could've spent more time following Tooting.& Mitcham.
On our trips to Guernsey, me and Joe used to stay at the very plush St Peter's Port Hotel and Golf resort. By sheer coincidence Alan, who ran his own furnishing and upholstery firm was the man who fitted out the Hotel when it was built in the 70's.
As I said before, Alan wouldn't hear a bad word said about our club. This got him into a bit of a fracas away at Leatherhead when an arsehole Tanners fan upset our Al so much it ended up in fisticuffs. The law were called but fortunately didn't turn up until the final whistle had gone. We had to smuggle him out of the ground with his customary baseball cap covering his boat race to prevent him getting carted off by the local Constabulary.
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