red_clowne
Well-known member
Lovely to read all these posts.
Ray and I started travelling home and away after we got promoted at Wolves, going all over the country meeting up with Bam-Bam, Chalkie and Freddie. His username (192) was his seat number in the East Stand when the Riverside opened. Later he changed his season ticket so he was in the North Stand, first row above the steps, smack behind the goal. Ray and I founded the Derbyshire Reds in 1995, he was it's first Chairman, to organise way match tickets for Boro fans in this area.
He had measles as a child and as a result he suffered from necrosis of the bones which resulted in him losing a number of toes and finally stopping him from coming to the games. Ray was a fiercely private guy and wouldn't admit to anyone that he had a problem, particularly with stairs, so rather than travel with the Wheelies he just stopped going to the away matches. About ten years ago he stopped travelling with me to home matches because the stairs to his seat were too much for him and the journey up to Teesside was too long for him to be sat down. Even though I offered to stop every now and then on the journeys to and from the game, he was adamant that he wouldn't go to the match any more.
However, loyal to the end he kept his season ticket, renewing as an early bird for this current season.
As has been said by many on this thread, he was a lovely bloke. He was single until about 10 years ago when he met up with Pam online. She moved up from London to live with Ray, and married about 6 years ago. As said above, being a private guy who never wanted to create a fuss, they went on holiday to Skegness and married at a registry office with no friends or family present. He was part of a huge family, his Dad (also called Ray) was born and raised in Southbank. His mum, Joan, is in a care home in Ray's village. Ray and Pam used to call and see her every morning.
Ray's general health was similar to most people in their late 50's, Ray and Pam self-isolated as best they could during this covid-19 pandemic. We had been exchanging What'sApps yesterday, as we did every day, so it was a complete shock to find out he'd died at teatime.
Ray and I started travelling home and away after we got promoted at Wolves, going all over the country meeting up with Bam-Bam, Chalkie and Freddie. His username (192) was his seat number in the East Stand when the Riverside opened. Later he changed his season ticket so he was in the North Stand, first row above the steps, smack behind the goal. Ray and I founded the Derbyshire Reds in 1995, he was it's first Chairman, to organise way match tickets for Boro fans in this area.
He had measles as a child and as a result he suffered from necrosis of the bones which resulted in him losing a number of toes and finally stopping him from coming to the games. Ray was a fiercely private guy and wouldn't admit to anyone that he had a problem, particularly with stairs, so rather than travel with the Wheelies he just stopped going to the away matches. About ten years ago he stopped travelling with me to home matches because the stairs to his seat were too much for him and the journey up to Teesside was too long for him to be sat down. Even though I offered to stop every now and then on the journeys to and from the game, he was adamant that he wouldn't go to the match any more.
However, loyal to the end he kept his season ticket, renewing as an early bird for this current season.
As has been said by many on this thread, he was a lovely bloke. He was single until about 10 years ago when he met up with Pam online. She moved up from London to live with Ray, and married about 6 years ago. As said above, being a private guy who never wanted to create a fuss, they went on holiday to Skegness and married at a registry office with no friends or family present. He was part of a huge family, his Dad (also called Ray) was born and raised in Southbank. His mum, Joan, is in a care home in Ray's village. Ray and Pam used to call and see her every morning.
Ray's general health was similar to most people in their late 50's, Ray and Pam self-isolated as best they could during this covid-19 pandemic. We had been exchanging What'sApps yesterday, as we did every day, so it was a complete shock to find out he'd died at teatime.
