Hundreds pay respect to Lyndon (From Gazette Series)

Hundreds pay respect to Lyndon

LYNDON WILDE, a stalwart of the Dursley sports scene, has died aged 54.

Mr Wilde's popularity was illustrated by the fact that more than 500 people tried to attend his funeral at St Bartholemew's Church in Cam last Monday.

Over 400 people squeezed into the church but over 100 more had to pay their respects from outside.

Mr Wilde was a veteran of more than 500 Dursley Town games - a landmark he passed two years before his retirement from the game in 1986. He first played for Town when they were in the Wiltshire Combination League.

Mr Wilde was seen as a great inspiration to all who knew him, especially his Dursley teammates, who he instilled with the belief that the game was not over until the end.

He began his footballing career by making 100 appearances for Dursley U18s - in the days when the only youth football played was U16s or U18s.

After hanging up his football boots he began playing golf and worked his way down to an 11 handicap.

He was also secretary of Dursley Golf Club for 15 years and regularly played for the Dursley Golfers skittles team.

Berkeley Town FC chairman Rob Evans, a lifelong friend and teammate of Mr Wilde, said he was someone who others looked up to.

He said: "Whether it was in Marment Road, Woodfield Primary School, Dursley Grammar School or Dursley Town Football Club, Lyndon Wilde was a great inspiration to me, quietly advising me when I was going wrong."