DEVOTED FAN ROSS GIVEN A POTTERS FUNERAL
Dad-of-four supported City after picking name from hat
TRIBUTES have been paid to a Stoke City fan who had a Pottersthemed funeral.
Duncan Ward – who was known as Ross – was dressed in a Stoke City shirt, Stoke City slippers, and tracksuit for his funeral last week in Bolton – 55 miles away from the bet365 Stadium – where Ross was born and lived.
His allegiance to the Potters began when he picked the name Stoke City out of a hat in a game with friends as a child and he had supported the club ever since. The dad-of-two died aged 60 on April 7.
Sister-in-law Bernadette Ward said: “He was born and lived in Bolton. However, as a child, he decided to support Stoke City and stayed loyal to them all his life. He was a season ticket holder for several years.
“He travelled to home and away matches whenever he could and some seasons he managed to get to every match. He once featured in The Sentinel in 2008 after being interviewed sitting on a bench waiting for his train home.”
The pallbearers at the April 27 funeral all wore red and white. Ross’s coffin was lined with red and white silk, and the flowers were red and white.
Bernadette added: “When he was a child he was with a group of friends and they took a hat filled with football teams in, and the one they picked out was who they would support. Ross was a lifelong Stoke fan, as far back as I can remember he has had a season ticket. He would go and stay overnight most times.
“He would watch the match and have a drink in Stoke-on-trent. There were people from Stokeon-trent that he met up with. Somebody from Stoke-on-trent turned up to the funeral.
“He had all the merchandise. We knew a Stoke City-themed funeral would be his wish. He was Stoke City-mad. We rarely saw him in anything other than a Stoke City shirt.”
Retired Ross had worked at Warburtons bakery. He leaves his girlfriend, two daughters, and four grandchildren. He died in hospital after suffering liver problems and catching covid.