I see from club tweets that the passing of Derek Goddard has been announced
Derek was a sports reporter for the Echo for over 40 years, and was well known for his position just outside the clubhouse selling alpha tote tickets.
RIP Derek Goddard
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Hubert Parry
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This is very sad news. He gave me my first taste of journalism when I was 10 years old (I got to sit with him in the press box, and write an article for the Echo after the Chester (h) match in our first FL season), which inspired my future projects in the field. He always had time for a chat outside the clubhouse and they were always very memorable. He would never give predictions and I remember asking him after we won a home game which put us something like 8 points clear of safety in L1 under Keith Downing, whether he thought we were safe. 'Certainly not', was his abrupt response, and so it very nearly proved - as we went on an awful run thereafter only to save ourselves against Doncaster.
Wonderful writer, and a wonderful man. The club has lost a few of its finest characters in recent times.
Wonderful writer, and a wonderful man. The club has lost a few of its finest characters in recent times.
Shocking news, first TaxiDave, then my Uncle Les (a steward in the In2Print) and now Derek.
Matchdays simply won't feel the same any more without seeing Derek perched on his chair outside the bar before matches, seeing Dave in the bar for some verbal jousting whilst getting my first pint in and having a catch up with Les in the Parklands afterwards.
RIP Derek.
Matchdays simply won't feel the same any more without seeing Derek perched on his chair outside the bar before matches, seeing Dave in the bar for some verbal jousting whilst getting my first pint in and having a catch up with Les in the Parklands afterwards.
RIP Derek.
Derek retirement from the echo in 2007. http://m.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/?url=ht ... rt%2F#2511" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Roger Thorndale used to refer to Derek as "Spartan"a reference to his original pseudonym in the Echo in the days when the echo printed a special sports edition on saturdays(the green un).I used to look forward to reading Dereks reports on all local sport and remember especially his writing up of Gloucestershire c.c.c.winning the Gillette cup and later the Benson and Hedges trophy,he loved his cricket with a passion and would always uphold the sporting traditions of the game.leohoenig wrote:I see from club tweets that the passing of Derek Goddard has been announced
Derek was a sports reporter for the Echo for over 40 years, and was well known for his position just outside the clubhouse selling alpha tote tickets.
R.I.P.Derek !
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Educated Bertie
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Truly very sad news. R.I P Derek, "Spartan of The Echo".
Apart from his love of The Robins, one call recall playing cricket against him.
More than a "useful" player, in cricketing parlance.
Apart from his love of The Robins, one call recall playing cricket against him.
More than a "useful" player, in cricketing parlance.
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Reliant Robin
- Posts: 1366
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What sad news. CTFC has lost another big piece of its glorious history, a genuine character and a thoroughly nice bloke.
Derek always made a bee-line for one of my relatives in the Robins Bar on match days to share a bit of banter, we shall miss him enormously as it was always part of our pre-match build up. I noticed Derek was not there at the last home game and I had a horrible feeling that all was not well because Derek had looked quite frail for some time.
It will be very sad not seeing Derek sat on his chair outside the bar with his wad of tote tickets and it will be equally sad not having "Harley" parked outside the bar as well.
In his Echo days, I used to think that his first name was "Writes" because the back page articles were always emblazoned with "Writes Derek Goddard". After he'd finished doing the Sport coverage he had a weekly column in the Echo which I think was called something like "Derek's Week" with a lovely little cartoon of him sat at a typewriter.
We often talk about Players getting legendary status and I do believe that Derek also deserves the legendary tribute too. He has been a massive part of CTFC for so long and he will be missed enormously. RIP Derek.
Derek always made a bee-line for one of my relatives in the Robins Bar on match days to share a bit of banter, we shall miss him enormously as it was always part of our pre-match build up. I noticed Derek was not there at the last home game and I had a horrible feeling that all was not well because Derek had looked quite frail for some time.
It will be very sad not seeing Derek sat on his chair outside the bar with his wad of tote tickets and it will be equally sad not having "Harley" parked outside the bar as well.
In his Echo days, I used to think that his first name was "Writes" because the back page articles were always emblazoned with "Writes Derek Goddard". After he'd finished doing the Sport coverage he had a weekly column in the Echo which I think was called something like "Derek's Week" with a lovely little cartoon of him sat at a typewriter.
We often talk about Players getting legendary status and I do believe that Derek also deserves the legendary tribute too. He has been a massive part of CTFC for so long and he will be missed enormously. RIP Derek.
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horlickfanclub
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An interesting and intelligent man. Even when he was down his company and sharp wit made you more aware to celebrate different opinions on sport and life. R.I.P. Derek. A blue plaque should go up on The Shed.
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swellingsdownbelow
- Posts: 145
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Horlickfanclub, you are correct, a blue plaque at least. Dare i say, if we have a stand that is not currently sponsored, the club would go a long way by naming it in Derek's memory.
A very witty man, even during his more depressive years and a true legend at Cheltenham Town FC over the past half a century.
A very witty man, even during his more depressive years and a true legend at Cheltenham Town FC over the past half a century.
A very witty man, even during his more depressive years and a true legend at Cheltenham Town FC over the past half a century.[/quote]
I think the column referred was ' Derek's Reflections'- which was full of nothing but gloom and doom and mirrored Derek's state of mind.-I thought it was hilarious.
I first met Derek 40 odd years ago when we were both in the newspaper trade-he was flogging me tickets for something even then.
RIP Derek -at peace.
I think the column referred was ' Derek's Reflections'- which was full of nothing but gloom and doom and mirrored Derek's state of mind.-I thought it was hilarious.
I first met Derek 40 odd years ago when we were both in the newspaper trade-he was flogging me tickets for something even then.
RIP Derek -at peace.
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cakeboyslim
- Posts: 13
- Joined: 04 Jan 2012, 14:14
Very sad news, he has always been very good to me and always when he saw me asked how my mum was (she used to be a barmaid at the bayshill years ago) . He did a fantastic job with the Alphabet tote and gave any commission he earned to charity, I was planning to see him soon to see if I owed any money on the tote because I always give him a chunk in advance, and like someone mentioned before he did look frail last time I saw him.
I can always remember when he worked for the echo seeing him asleep in the stand when Cheltenham played away at Bridgend years ago as we changed ends at halftime (I cant remember the year but it Im sure it was the 80s)
Cheltenham Town will certainly miss what he did for the Alphabet Tote.
RIP Derek
Cake H
I can always remember when he worked for the echo seeing him asleep in the stand when Cheltenham played away at Bridgend years ago as we changed ends at halftime (I cant remember the year but it Im sure it was the 80s)
Cheltenham Town will certainly miss what he did for the Alphabet Tote.
RIP Derek
Cake H
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robinsrule
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R.I.P. Derek. I used to read his match reports every week when I was growing up.
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Darren Angels budgie
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I'm sure he cared more for the Robins than he let on. Must have made tens of thousands for the club through the alphabet tote tickets. I remember him telling me there was a guy who had tickets off him every week that moved away. The next time Del saw him was several years later and he promptly told this fella he owed him two hundred odd quid. When the guy protested he told him he had never cancelled his tickets.
When you got through all the ex-wife stuff he had a really good sense of humour. Loved his cricket and was a really good, amusing writer. Have some good memories of him - a curious character but life would have been much more boring without him.
When you got through all the ex-wife stuff he had a really good sense of humour. Loved his cricket and was a really good, amusing writer. Have some good memories of him - a curious character but life would have been much more boring without him.
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CTFC_Supporter62
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 31 Jan 2010, 11:46
RIP Derek. Always a good read in the Echo.
Was browsing the forum and saw this thread so signed up just to comment.
Spent more time than I care to remember watching CTFC through bad times and good. Invariably DG would be there, selling tickets, notebook in hand. We had some lively discussions over the years but he always had the club at heart and cared deeply about it and the town in general.
RIP old son. They'll never be another one like you.
Spent more time than I care to remember watching CTFC through bad times and good. Invariably DG would be there, selling tickets, notebook in hand. We had some lively discussions over the years but he always had the club at heart and cared deeply about it and the town in general.
RIP old son. They'll never be another one like you.
I first met Derek in my local pub at the time, the Sudely Arms.He was selling the tote tickets as per usual.He got me signed up and 20 odd years later i am still paying in.One highlight was a boring night in the pub watching Monday night football.In he trotted.Is Mr.Bond here?£400 in winnings!Nice one Derek!Less what i owed of course,and do you want to pay some up front?Then over the years collaring me up at the Montpellier bars on a Saturday night.I enjoyed our chats about all things sport and then he would spot another victim in the corner of his eye and quick as a flash he was gone again!I reckon he got a real buzz pouncing on people!As the years passed meetings would be up at the ground and the first time i turned up with my son, Derek asked who he was.Every home game(after cleaning me out for tote money)his greeting would be "ah young Bond" followed by plenty of interest in how Tom was doing.We have lost a true Cheltenham legend and i for one will miss his face about the ground.RIP Derek