I just wanted to pay my own tribute to Ray Thorn.
He was a very kind generous man. He was reserve team manager at a time at Tooting when players were fighting to get in the first team. This was a time when we was taking 2 full coaches to away games for supporters.  Three coaches in total when you include the first team coach. Derek Forsest was running the bar. Tracey was working behind the bar. We had players like Chris Lewington, David Flint, Danny Goodwin, David Gabriel, Charlton Fairweather who went to play with Wimbledon as did Ray's boy. Who himself was a student and Eastfields High School.
When Ray was our reserve team manager, he was also a local bus driver. Always very happy and friendly to people.  He would always give up his time to talk to anyone about football. Very much like Billy Smith he lived and breathed football.  He had a knowledge of every player currently playing in his division and around. A great man.
As a 9 year old child as I was then. He would ask my dad to take pictures of the squad and action photos. I remember Ray always being generous, letting me in the dressing room to every game. That was a real honour as a 9 year old. My favourite memory of Ray was a away game to Dulwich.  As usual Ray invited me into the dressing.  The team had done their warm up. His prematch talk was a little different. He wanted the Tooting boys to get stuck in. This was of course in a time when Dulwich V Tooting was a big thing. Both local clubs was competing at a high level of Non-League football.  There was one player, I won't name him that Ray singled out. He was a midfield player who Ray thought was technically good. But he never made a single tackle. Ray  singled him out before the game. But in Ray's usual kind way instead of belittling the player. Ray offered the player some money out of his own pocket if the player got booked and made a tackle in the first half. Needless to say the player not only got his money, but we won the game 1-4.
Ray was a people's person.  Kind generous and honest.
I think Ray is probably one of the reasons I built my passion for Tooting even now at the age of 50. Going through the lows of Saturday and the highs when we beat Dorking in the league and FA Cup. It is people like Ray that this club's foundations and support is built on.
He should be remembered as a Tooting great. A great man.
A great servant to the club.
RIP Ray. And thank you for the memories.
All our love
The Walker Family xxx

Last edited by Gary Walker (18/9/2025 10:18 am)