Ian “Tubby” Richardson, who has died aged 77, was a talented footballer and a founder member of Wetheriggs United who was also instrumental in forming the Penrith and District Junior League.
What Ian lacked in height on the pitch, at just 5ft 8in tall, he more than made up for in presence, determination and a prodigious leap as a defender who regularly got the better of much taller attackers.
Writing in a commemorative programme which celebrated 60 years of Wetheriggs United, in 2023, club chairman Barry Turner recalled: “In those early days I could never understand how, at centre half, Ian ‘Tubby Rich’, at his height and physique could invariably outjump any size of centre forward!”
One of Ian’s proudest sporting moments was celebrating Wetheriggs’ first Westmorland League Division I title win, in 1971-72. He moved on to Penrith AFC where he captained the first team for a spell, and also played Sunday league football before his playing days were ended by a knee injury.
He shared a love of sport with his two sons, Shaun and Darren, whom he later proudly watched playing rugby union and cricket. The three of them travelled to support Penrith’s footballers home and away, and were present when the first XI won the Floodlit Trophy in 1995.
Members of that cup winning side were reunited, 30 years on, at the club’s Frenchfield Park home on Saturday, when a minute’s silence in memory of Ian was held before the team’s latest Northern League game.
Ian was Penrith-born in December, 1947, the son of Joe and Nora Richardson, and grew up at Castle Terrace in Penrith. His father bred pigs at Redhills and later worked as a delivery driver for town-based bakery firm Birkett’s. His mother, who hailed from Bradford, was in the Land Army and made munitions in her native West Yorkshire.
An only child, Ian attended Brunswick Road, County Boys’, Tynefield and Ullswater schools, leaving aged 15. He worked on his father’s pig farm for a short time, before finding work first at Beacon Trailers and then erecting farm buildings for Newcastle-based firm Ag-Pak.
He followed in his father’s footsteps by joining Birkett’s, where he spent more than 30 years, worked with many friends and was employed as a transport manager, overseeing the end of an era as travelling vans were phased out following a takeover by Greggs.
From the mid-1980s, Ian ran his own business, I & E Products, engraving trophies.
In 1977, Ian married Evelyn Scott, of Askham, at the village’s St Peter’s church. They lived at Macadam Way in Penrith before moving to Pennyhill Park. Evelyn had also initially been employed at Birkett’s, later working at the town’s Two Lions pub for 18 years, and at the nearby Board & Elbow.
Their eldest son, Shaun, was born in 1982, and Darren a year later.
Ian was a key figure as the Penrith and District Junior Football League was founded in 1979 and, for around two decades, held the post as chairman. He was particularly proud to see talented youngsters step up to the professional game: notably Paul Murray and Richard Prokas, both of Penrith; and Carlisle-based Steve Harkness and Rory Delap.
A love of cricket was forged as a youngster and, aged 11, Ian became a scorer for Penrith first team. Later playing as a wicketkeeper, Ian was also the second XI scorer for a number of seasons — while son Darren captained the side — and was well respected for keeping a meticulous book.
He was a Westmorland League referee for several years, a keen trainspotter as a youngster, collected stamps and had amassed a huge number of football match
programmes. He supported Everton and followed the fortunes of
Carlisle United, travelling with his sons to Wembley Stadium for the 1995 Auto Windscreens Shield final.
Ian was a former chairman of both the Penrith Royal British Legion and Upper Eden grass track clubs. He enjoyed darts, pool, dominoes, spending time with family dogs Charlie and Rosie and was a proud grandfather to Georgie Nora, aged eight, and Carter, six.
He was a voracious reader, particularly of crime novels, a keen fell walker, enjoyed holidays in Greece and the North East with family, and annual August bank holiday visits to Cartmel Races.
A funeral service will take place at Eden Valley Crematorium, Temple Sowerby, on Friday, 28th March, at 11am. Donations in Ian’s memory will be collected for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
