Roy Wootton Rest in Peace
We were very sad to learn of the passing of former Dulwich Hamlet player Roy Wootton, aged 84. Our thoughts are with son Mike and family.
Although Roy retired from football when he was still only 25 years old, his love for the Hamlet continued into his eighties, until illness got the upper hand over his ailing body and mind. His final appearances on the Champion Hill terraces were three or four years ago.
Roy was truly passionate about the club, and was just as happy going onto the pitch with the Dulwich crowds to celebrate a promotion or visiting other grounds with Mike as he was when he was scoring goals from the right wing position in his playing career. A lovely gentleman and a truly humble man, it was always nice to have a brief chat with him. One never heard Roy boasting of his playing career for the pink and blues, and it would not surprise me if a large percentage of our supporters actually knew who this elderly gentleman was that passed among them on match days home and away.
Born in South London in 1938, Roy spent his formative years at Sidcup Secondary School. His footballing heroes were Stanley Mortenson and Stanley Matthews, who both played for Blackpool. Two of England’s finest, they would have made a huge impression on him in the FA Cup Final in the Coronation Year of 1953. Mortenson with his goals and Matthews with his wing play. The Sports Master at Roy’s school was so impressed with the teenager’s talent that he secured the youngster a trial at his old club. The master, who later became Head Master, was former Dulwich Hamlet player Glynn ‘Bombhead’ Jones. He acquired the nickname due to his powerful headed goals a decade earlier.
Roy made his Hamlet debut aged 17 on Boxing Day 1955 against Wembley. But he was clearly not ready and had to wait until the following season for his second game. And even then it was a single outing. He scored five goals in the five matches played in the season after that, then in 1958/59 he appeared in 12 games. The lack of games may have been due to Roy completing two years National Service. For the next four seasons he was given more of a run-out, scoring 17, 13, 14 and 10 goals respectively. Two further seasons were played before Roy retired from the game. He cited two reasons why he decided to retire - the birth of his son Michael and the need to wear spectacles. Tommy Jover, a legendary figure at Champion Hill, wrote to Roy the following season and asked him to reconsider his decision, but Roy was adamant. He appreciated he was highly valued by the club, but he was now a family man and all the travelling on matchdays meant he would miss out on his little boy growing up. Roy treasured the letter from Tommy, and held onto it for the rest of his life.
In an article for the Hamlet Historian magazine in 2016 Roy told us that training took place twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “Ernie Tozer was the coach and we used to start by doing laps of the pitch, then sprinting and a five a side game. John Hall who lived at North Cray, had a minibus and would give a lift to Reg Merritt, Arthur Aitken, Frank Beard and me. The team didn’t have a manager as such. The team was selected by committee. The officials were Leonard Bawcutt (President), Arnold Batting (Chairman), Eddie Rengger (Hon. Secretary), and Ernie Skipper (Club Captain). Reg Merritt was a great player and a great captain who everyone respected. He holds the record for the most first team appearances.”
Roy also pointed out that he played for the Army Pay Corps while he was doing his National Service at Northampton. “Recognising that I was a footballer they asked me to be the regiment Physical Training Instructor. The Royal Army Pay Corps team won the Goodliffe Cup two years running beating Northampton Town Police both times. In 1957 the score was 9-1 and in 1958 the score was 2-1.” The captain of that side was future teammate at Dulwich Hamlet John Hammond. “John was a talented footballer and I encouraged him to come to Dulwich for a trial, and so began a very distinguished career.”
Roy generally played in the inside or outside right positions and sometimes at centre forward. Unfortunately it was not a particularly successful period for Dulwich on and off the pitch, but it was a great club with a great history and a ground that was the envy of many a Football League club.
There was nothing nasty about Roy’s game. Indeed, the only booking (yellow card) he ever received was during a reserve team match where he dared to argue with the referee!
One of the highlights of Roy’s own career was representing an FA XI at Crystal Palace. Another was surely the night the floodlights were opened at Champion Hill by Chelsea, the league leaders of the English top-flight, and a team packed with stars. It has been said that Roy Wootton was the Hamlet’s best player that evening.
On the quiet, Roy, along with several other Hamlet players, also turned out for a Sunday League team Waring Athletic. They were a very successful side winning promotion to the top division, then winning the league and the senior cup. But it was all kept a bit hush hush in case the Dulwich Hamlet committee heard about it and put a stop to it. It would not have gone down well if one of the players had picked up an injury.
In fact Roy kept relatively free from injury throughout his career. On one occasion however, he did receive an opponents knee in the face during an FA Cup tie against Wokingham. It occurred early in the game and the Hamlet had to play on with ten men because no substitutes were allowed in those days. But when a gallant Roy reappeared from the tunnel ten minutes into the second half with several stitches below his eye, the Champion Hill crowd erupted in a spontaneous burst of applause.
In 208 appearances for the Dulwich Hamlet first team Roy scored 70 goals. It is actually rather surprising to find that Roy Wootton’s goals per game ratio was one goal in 2.97 games. That is a better return than the legendary Willie Lillington - a goal per 3.1 games; Kim Connett - a goal per 3.15 games; and Ashley Carew - a goal per 3.63 games.
One wonders how many more appearances and goals he would have chalked up if he had continued playing into his early thirties.
Roy passed away peacefully on October 19, 2022. The funeral will be held on November 25, 2022 at Eltham Crematorium, Crown Woods Way, London, SE9 2AZ. The nearest station is Falconwood.
The family would love to see all Dulwich Hamlet ex-players and supporters that knew Roy. Please wear a pink and blue scarf.
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