Roddy Forman: An Obituary

Jan 2014: Roddy Forman was master in charge of Fives at Eton for several years and, in retirement, was an ardent coach at Summer Fields, Oxford. He was the ideal person to instil in young players the ethos of the game and was no mean performer himself.

Jan 2014: Lord Kingsdown - A Tribute

Gordon Stringer writes:

Lord Kingsdown, KG, PC (1927 – 2013)

It is with a great sense of loss that we record the death of Robin Leigh-Pemberton, Lord Kingsdown, who had been Patron of the EFA since 1997. He followed another distinguished Old Etonian, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, and filled the role with equal aplomb.

Roger Beament

Feb 2013: We are sad to report the recent death of Roger Beament, former Master-in-Charge of Fives at Highgate and later Secretary of the Eton Fives Association. A Memorial Service will be held in St.Albans Cathedral on Monday 25th February 2013 at 3pm. 

David Guilford and Anne Shortland-Jones at the opening of the sixteenth court at Eton

DJS Guilford (1930 – 2011)

Gordon Stringer and Dale Vargas pay tribute to David Guilford, former Kinnaird Cup winner, who died earlier this year:

It is with great regret that we record the passing of David Guilford, a Vice President and former Honorary Secretary of the EFA, who has been one of the most distinguished names in the game in the postwar period and who was also a superb player.

Werner Ahrens (1938-2011): A Tribute by Daniel Haering

Werner, the cornerstone of the Zuoz Fives Club Zürich, has died of cancer at the age of 72. Werner was for many years the central figure in the playing and social life of ZFCZ. Together with a handful of other enthusiastic Old Boys, he founded ZFCZ in 1963 and they built the first court in Geeren.

Jan 2011: Antonia Bruch Memorial Match

Emily Scoones reports:

On October 27th 2009, Antonia Bruch sadly passed away from Meningitis. Antonia had just left Highgate School and started at Oxford University. Not only was she a good friend but a Fives team mate and one of her goals in life, as well as becoming Prime Minister, was to make Fives an Olympic sport.

John Rimer (1942-2010)

Anyone who played against the Old Aldenhamians in the 1970s and 1980s will remember the unmistakable figure of John Rimer with Jesters sweater and trailing bandana, which kept his hair out of his eyes and his glasses in place.

Malcolm Mitchell (1938-2010)

Shrewsbury School and the Old Salopians, with many others, are mourning the untimely death of Malcolm Mitchell at 71.

One of his many contributions to a more civilised world was to help form the Monday Club and inaugurate the Northern Championships, which he also ran originally. His love of Fives, which he played to a high standard, also rubbed of on his three children, Andrew, Fiona and Ian.

David Barton (1920-2009)

Our longest serving Vice-President – from 1972 – David Barton, has died at nearly 89, having been our Hon. Treasurer from 1952 to 1971. For a number of years he had also been Chairman and a Vice-President of the Old Etonian Fives Club. David was very involved in the EFA's affairs in the start-up after the war, but it was a source of great regret to him that his memory of that period was very limited.

Greg Wand (far left) with the Old Citizens in 1954

Greg Wand (1931-2008)

One of the last links with Old Citizen post-war Fives has been lost with the sad death of Greg Wand just before his 77th birthday.