Northmead Bids a Fond Farewell to Rupert Phillips

Rupert’s Guard of Honour

Players past and present turned out on Saturday 30th April to present Club Life President Rupert Phillips with a Guard of Honour at the Club’s Northmead Junior School Mini Soccer Centre.

Guess the Calories!

He was also gifted a splendid low-cal chocolate cake by Club Secretary Clare Jones, while Deputy Club Chairman Brian Slyfield presented Rupert with a golden broom and traffic cone – as a reminder of all those ill-spent cold Saturday mornings over the past 12 years!

Rupert Receives the Golden Broom Award From Deputy Chairman Brian Slyfield

Rupert joined the Club in 2002 with his youngest son Jan and in that time has managed the Club’s first-ever team to U18 and also worked tirelessly as Child Welfare Officer, Chairman and Schools Liaison Officer.

However, most of our younger players will remember Rupert as ‘Mr Northmead’, presiding over not only the management of our early-years ‘Mini-Rangers’ (Reception and U6) but also acting as an invaluable front-of-house representative for Worplesdon Rangers, as new players wandered into the Northmead complex in search of a new footballing home.

Players Past and Present Turned Out to Honour Rupert’s Departure

Rupert retired from Committee work at the end of 2015-2016 and was made the first Life President of the Club at last year’s AGM.  His departure from Northmead yesterday marks the end of an era for the Club and the start of a new chapter in its history.  His invaluable contribution to the Club will be formally acknowledged at Trophy Day on Sunday June 5th 2016.