Gordon Rose

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Gordon Rose (1944 to 1949) on the 18th of May 2021. Old Stationers’ and OSFC club members gathered at Botany Bay Cricket Club after his funeral to celebrate his life. A memorial cricket match followed which was held in his honour and attended by his family at Botany Bay Cricket Club on Presidents’ Day on the 29th of August 2021.

From around 1944 Gordon attended the Stationers’ Company’s grammar school in Hornsey, when old enough he’s enthusiasm for football and cricket took him to the headquarters of the Old Stationers’ Association in Barnet where he joined OSFC, describing himself as a “speedy and skilful winger”, and OSCC where others describe a medium pacer whose bowling might exceed hip height in the bar after the game. Tales of cricket and Easter tours are probably best told by others. Later banking was his chosen career, and he joined Westminster Bank at its Lothbury headquarters before it’s amalgamation with National Provincial. In recent months he still recalled playing for Lothbury with his great friends Jeff Burdett and John Aylett, in particular a memorable victory against the bank’s much stronger “Overseas Branch.” Even then he was key in arranging gatherings at recuperative watering holes during return journeys from matches. He had started work when computers were the size of small warehouses and as his creativity developed, Lothbury couldn’t afford to lose his increasing expertise. Incidentally upon retirement he was long established as head of NatWest ‘s entire clearing operation but his frequent injuries left the bank reluctant to retain his footballing services and not deterred, in 1966 Gordon rejoined OSFC at Barnet. He soon became the football Club‘s greatest luminary and its honorary president, and in 1981 took the prize mantle of president at the OSA itself (Westminster Bank 0- Old Stationers’ 1). Gordon had a long distinguish and influential association with the OSFC, as player, chairman and first 11 manager and his leadership of the first 11 won senior division three in 1981/82, followed by Senior Division two in 1983 to 84, and in 1988 to 89 won the AFA senior cup for the only time in the Club’s history, along with the Old Boy’s Senior Cup and promotion again to Senior Division One.

Gordon was a very proficient dancer and his enthusiasm for jive rather oddly leading him to a young lady Ballroom dancer by the name of Evelyn. Gordon, however, didn’t put a foot wrong so their marriage followed in 1956 and later their son Andrew, daughter Pauline, and three grandchildren Ben, Michael, and Cody arrived. Over the 64 years of their marriage Eve enjoyed participation in all things, cricket football, music, et cetera providing famous cricket teas at Barnet and with Gordon co-hosting for some years at the memorable Rose balls at the former Firs Hall in which more sizeable dinner and dance affairs were arranged. Later, she has been Gordon’s unfailing support through lengthy illness. She is a much-loved example to us all. In the 60s the Old Stationers’ Association fielded eight football teams every week in the South Amateur League plus the occasional Veterans’ team it maintained a decent clubhouse for mud-prone pitches and uneven cricket table and for boys from the school, provided a natural pathway to the adult version of their chosen sports. Therefore, there was a high demand for supreme competent football managers and administrators, and it was natural that Gordons lifelong love of the sport should be fulfilled.

He served on the OSA Committee in one present guise or another for five decades, and for some years served as a stentorian master of ceremonies at the Association’s Annual Dinner at Stationers’ Hall.

Single minded and determined he was key to the survival of the Club at this time and provided vital leadership until in 1994 became The Football Club sixth life president indicating the esteem in which he was held by contemporaries and proteges alike and from 1996 until 2016 he continued to be involved with the Association’s activities now as membership secretary, delighting in hunting down and weeding out those who failed to subscribe.

Meanwhile Gordon and a few other Old Stationers,’ known collectively as the Geranium Society, joined Botany Bay Cricket Club where he sustained his lasting love of cricket. Here he excelled as distinguished umpire and in 1996 pursuing a lifetime interest in jazz, became the first chairman of the Botany Bay Jazz Club where his skills as master of ceremonies, raconteur, comedian, and Arsenal newscaster are still recorded with considerable affection.

Gordon’s proudest Botany Bay moment came in 2005 in 2006 when he had the significant honour of serving for two years as its President. A final but thoroughly deserved accolade coming from no less an august body than that of the Football Association, when in recognition of 50 years of service to football, Gordon was awarded the rare honour of a Life-Long Service Medal. He was a natural leader, aiming always to take people with him but that was underpinned by thorough subject knowledge and preparation which invariably insured that Gordon‘s Way was the old Stationers’ way. His nature was giving and generous to a fault and his many talents included a natural ability of both serious and comic public speaking. So, as we say goodbye to “Mr. Old Stationer,” an outstanding unforgettable man, our thoughts are entirely with Eve and their family, we remember Gordon’s great love of them, of life, and shared happiness and friendship.