‘He was bristling with enthusiasm all the time’

Former classmate remembers talented Arsenal footballer

A school friend of the late ex-England and Arsenal player Ron Saxby says the pair were among Homewood’s first intake of pupils.

Brian Watts, 82, of Caxton Close, Tenterden, wanted to share his recollections of his best pal following tributes paid to the talented sportsman in the Kentish Express.

“We were both at Homewood School at the same time and attended when it had been open for about six months,” Mr Watts recalled.

“Ron and I were both made prefects and that meant patrolling the grounds at lunch time and making sure pupils behaved.

“I was shy but Ron was very confident in the role.

“Being a prefect meant you also had to read passages out of the bible in morning assembly and I’d be shaking from head to toe, but felt brilliant after I had done it.”

Both were sports mad and had been in the school athletics team.

“Ron was the fastest 100-metre runner in Kent at the age of 15,” Mr Watts said.

“That’s what made him good at football as he was so fast on the pitch.”

Describing Ron’s character, his friend said: “I remember his confidence.

“He was always bristling with enthusiasm and we were always going to win our matches.”

The pair stayed in touch when retired carpenter Brian did his National Service with the army in the Persian Gulf.

He had been called up later than Ron after serving a trade apprenticeship.

Mr Watts said: “I used to correspond by letter with Ron even though it would take a good month for letters to get through.

“He would send his Arsenal match programmes to me and there were quite a few Arsenal fans in the army, who would borrow them and then I never saw them again.”

Mr Watts, a bachelor, continued to enjoy sport throughout his life. He played football for Ashford Town as an 18-year-old when the team was in the Kent League and took up cricket and judo, among a variety of sports.

Ron, 82, died in Hastings in November and his funeral was last month.

■ For more on Ron Saxby, see letters on page 19.

The 1951-52 team; teacher Mr Holden, back row from l to r: Peter Miller, Walter Hicks, Robin Ades, Brian Watts, Harry Warman, Michael Stanger, Ronnie Bourne; bottom r to l: Michael Hinds, Phillip Hall, Ron Saxby, Robert Wollett, Ray Excell

Homewood’s six-a-side team from 1950; from top left to right: Arthur French, Brian Watts, Peter Miller; bottom row: Phillip Hall, Ron Saxby, Ray Excell

Former Homewood pupil Brian Watts was in the same team as Ron Saxby, who went on to play for Arsenal