A VILLAGE football club pitched up in force to remember one of its longest-serving and hardest-working members.

Rangeworthy FC players, staff and committee members came together for a memorial match in honour of former goalkeeper Tony Curtis, who died on June 28.

The match was played between a Rangeworthy veterans team and members of grandfather Tony’s family.

Tony, 70, joined the club in 1967 as goalie and subsequently served as a player, manager, secretary, treasurer, chairman and most recently as president. He was also instrumental in the refurbishment of the pavilion and club room in the 1980s.

The retired policeman, who lived in Frampton Cotterell with his wife Cath and had two children Mark and Karen and found grandchildren, suffered from Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s and had deteriorated rapidly in the months before his death.

Club committee member Martyn Page said: “Tony had a huge impact on the club for all those years, as a player from 1967 to 1982 and then in the many other roles he took on.

“When he retired from the police he used to do lots of jobs for us at our ground on the rec and at the clubhouse.

“Even a year ago, when his memory was failing him, Cath still used to bring him up to watch games and did so for as long as possible to give him something to focus on and keep going.”

Mr Page added: “He is sorely missed.

“Tony loved football and his family and the memorial match, which both his children came to, was a tribute to him. It was a happy occasion, there weren’t really many tears, it was more a celebration of his life.”

The match ended in a three all draw and was followed by a fun afternoon at Rangeworthy village pub the Rose and Crown. As well as a bouncy castle for children, there was a raffle which raised £732 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

The Curtis family also dedicated a bench which they have donated to the football club as a lasting memento of Tony’s involvement.

Said Mr Page: “Thank you to Yvonne Hulbert at the Rose and Crown for the use of her garden and for providing food on the lovely sunny autumn day.

“Tony was truly ‘Mr Rangeworthy’ and will be missed by all club members, past and present.”