Tributes to Boro legend
NUNEATON Town are to pay a touching tribute to the memory of a player who earned a special place in the affections of football supporters wherever he played.
They will use their final game of the season on Saturday to commemorate the life of Bob Turpie, one of the most prolific goalscorers and most popular players to wear the famous blue and white colours of the town club.
During the mid-1970s his striking partnership with Bobby Vincent with what was then Nuneaton Borough, was one of the most feared and formidable in non-league football.
Nuneaton Town have invited his grieving family to Saturday’s home match against Blyth Spartans for “a celebration and commemoration of his life”.
Described by his wife Frances as a “wonderful father and husband who will be dearly missed” Turpie was a Londoner who had “Nuneaton” engraved on his heart.
After playing for Boro on loan, he jumped at the chance to come back on a permanent basis. “As soon as I saw the sign for Nuneaton I felt I was on the way back home,” he said.
Tributes poured in from the football world following his death at his home in Chapel End at the age of 68. He had been suffering from pancreatic cancer.
Fans of Queen’s Park Rangers, his first club where he played with stars like Rodney March and Gerry Francis, held two minute of applause in his memory before a recent home game.
Turpie joined Boro on loan from Peterborough United in the 1971-72 season He was then signed on a permanent basis by manager David Pleat, later to take charge of Tottenham, Luton and Sheffield Wednesday, who had played with him at Peterborough.
Despite severely damaging an eye in an injury at work he managed to continue playing, but he and his wife Frances suffered a terrible tragedy when their only son Sam collapsed and died after taking part in a charity match at Hartshill. Sam was 29 years old and youth team coach at the Boro.
During his career at Manor Park, Turpie scored a total of 47 goals, most of them alongside Bobby Vincent, who now lives in Spain and was among the first people to pay tribute to his former team-mate. “It’s sad news about my old striking partner,” he said. “Turps was a great striker and great person wherever he played,” he said. “At times he scored goals for fun.
“Manor Park has some great memories and people like Turps and the supporters remind me of the brilliant times we had then.”
Former Coventry City and Luton defender Kirk Stephens who began his career with Borough, said: “Bob Turpie was one of the most genuine people I have known in football - and I told him that went I went to see him.
“You cannot buy memories and the memories of playing with him are priceless. I don’t know anybody who had a bad word to say about him. ”
Geoff Coleman, who managed Nuneaton when the Turpie-Vincent partnership was at is height, described him as a “natural goalscorer who spotted opportunities others players didn’t see.”
Coleman, who succeeded David Pleat and steered Borough to second place in the table, added: “When he came from Peterborough Bob played wide on the left and scored goals, but we needed somebody to play alongside Vinno and he was the one.
“Most of his goals came from inside the six yard box - he ‘sniffed’ them like Jimmy Greaves - and he was a player who never complained or caused trouble, even when he had a goal dissallowed.”
Former Coventry City and Notts County player Dennis Oakes played with Turpie at Peterborough and at Nuneaton and also played against him.
“Bob was a very good player and a crowd favourite at Peterborough,” he said. “When Jim Iley left as manager and went up north, I think it was to take over Barnsley, he wanted Bob to go with him.
“Both he and Vinno were dynamite at Nuneaton, They were virtually unstoppable and Bob was unorthodox - he always had a trick or two.”
Former Boro assistant manager Ron Bradbury was manager of Atherstone when Turpie coached the second team and youth team at Sheepy Road and they became good friends.
“Bob was absolutely superb as a player coach and as a guy - a top man,” he said. I went to see him and Fran a lot over the past couple of months and it was sad to see him deteriorate. But he kept his lovely, warm sense of humour. Even the week he died he was laughing and joking. He had my utmost respect.
“It is a cliche, but he was a wonderful man and I just loved him. I wouldn’t say he was a lifelong friend, but we got on so well whenever we met. He was just a great guy and it is so sad.”
Bob Turpie’s funeral will be at the Heart of England Crematorium in Attleborough Fields on Wednesday May 9 at 10-15am. The service is to be followed by a wake at Nuneaton Town Sports Bar.