The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
TRIBUTE TO A LEGEND
CITY MOURNS POSH HERO TOMMY ROBSON SUPPORTERS START FUND FOR STATUE
Fans will get the chance to pay their last respects to Posh legend Tommy Robson when his funeral cortege passes the club’s stadium later this month.
Peterborough United legend Tommy passed away on Thursday afternoon( October 8).
The 76 year-old was recently diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Robson was a much-loved figure in Peterborough. He was recently thrilled to be awarded the freedom of the city
Tommy’s daughter Anita has released details about the funeral. The service will take place at 3.30 pm on October 30 at Bretton crematorium.
Before this, there will be a precession, leaving the funeral home at 2.30 and arriving at Weston Homes Stadium for around 2.50.
Here the family hope all his fans will be waiting to give Tommy a good and loud sendoff. The procession will then proceed towards the crematorium.
With the current restrictions in place, only a small number of people will be able to attend the service.
Peterboorugh United’s chief executive officer Bob Symns will attend as the club’ s representative.
Tommy made 559 appearances for Posh, the most in the club’s history, and scored 128 goals, the second highest total in the club’s Football League era.He moved to Posh from Newcastle United for £20,000 in November 1968. Heal so played for Chelsea and Northampton Town.
Peterborough Independent Supporters Association (PISA) has launched a campaign to raise funds for a Tommy Robson statue to be erected outside the club’s ground.
PISA 2000 are raising funds to have a bronze statue of him erected outside the club’s home ground, whether that be the Weston Homes Stadium or the planned new stadium on the Embankment. Permission from the family has been secured and the committee will now seek to raise in the region of £100,000 to cover all of the costs.
Animage, which will be revealed in due course, hasbeen chosen and work has begun on setting up a website and Facebook page.
PISA chairman AdiM owl es said: “We have started the ball rolling and we know we will have the support of the whole city, there is love for Tommy across the whole area.
“He meant so much to a lot of people. I remember him playing football well into his 50s andhe’s the only player I’d never dare kick.
“It’s actually something
I’d spoken to him about and he joked that he’d be much cheaper to cast in bronze than Chris Turner, given his size.
“Obviously, fundraising will be difficult at the moment, we can’ t hold a launch evening but we will do what we can and are looking into virtual events.
“We aren’t putting a time scale on things but we know, however long it takes, we will bring Tommy home.
“We did a similar thing for Chris Turner so we know we can do it.
“Both statues can be easily moved so I don’t think it will be an issue if we place the statue outside of the current stadium.
“It would be nice to get him home first and just move him when the time comes.”
The leader of Peterborough City Council has paid tribute to Tommy - and said the authority will look at a lasting memorial for the Posh legend.
Cllr John Holdich said he had chanted Tommy’s name from the stands at London Road, and described him as ‘a great man’.
Cllr Holdich said: “I am a lifelong supporter of Posh - Tommy was a wizard on the wing. We used to sing ‘Only one Tommy Robson - and there was only one. He lit the place up when he had the ball.
“And what a great guy he was. He bore his illness with great dignity. He was a great man, and a friend to everyone he knew.
“The council gave Tommy the freedom of the city earlier this year, and we will find the appropriate time to present the scroll to his family.
“We will look at the future about what we can do for Tommy as a memorial .”
Prayers have been said
for Peterborough United legend Tommy Robson as a volunteer who helped him deal with his Motor Neurone Disease(MND) diagnosis haspaid tribute.
Prayers have been said at Peterborough Cathedral for Tommy, his wife Helen, daughter Anita and son Ian and his whole family following the sad news.
Tommy had been battling the disease for a just over a year, and Brenda Parkes met himatthemotorneuronedisease (MND) clinic at Peterborough City Hospital soon after his diagnosis last August, in her capacity as a care services navigator volunteer for the MND Association.
She said: “Tommy was a lovely person, such a sociable character, verygarrulouswith a fantastic sense of humour.
“I visited him and his wife every month and was privi
leged to be able to support them as they faced the challenge of living with MND. Tommywasapleasuretowork with and I am so sorry to hear the news of his death.”
MND is a fatal, rapidly progressing disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It attacks the nerves that control movement so muscles no longer work. It can leave people locked in a failing body, unabletomove, talk andeventually breathe.
Athirdofpeoplediewithin a year of diagnosis and more than half within two years.
MND affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time. Each day six people are diagnosed and six people die.
MND Association’s director of external affairs Chris James said: “We are all saddened to hear of the death of Tommy Robson and extend our sympathies to his loved ones. Tommy has been involved with the association since his diagnosis last year and has been very honest and open about his experience of MND.
“MND is a brutal disease which generally doesn’t get the attention that many other diseases and conditions do. When people like Tommy speak out about MND, others listen and that helps spread awareness of MND which in turn helps us to raise much needed funds for research.
“At the moment there is no effective treatment but there is a global research effort, which the MND Association is proud to be part of, to understand more about this disease so we can take strides towards that.”
For more information about MND, or how to help the association, visit www. mndassociation.org