BRIAN ROACH, a popular local journalist who covered Reading FC for many decades, and a former director of the club, passed away on Sunday at the age of 79. He had been suffering increasingly from Alzheimer’s, and for the past year had been in a care home in Henley.

Having started his career at the Reading Chronicle, Brian lived at Twyford and was keenly involved in the local community there, particularly with St James’s the Great church at Ruscombe.

A keen sportsman, as well as sportswriter, he played football for Henley Town in the Hellenic League and was a powerful right-back in the Berkshire Press team which won the Southern Counties Press Cup in 1963.

Brian was a director of Reading FC during the time of Ian Branfoot’s record-breaking Royals in the late 1980s, after helping Roger Smee to scupper Robert Maxwell’s hopes of joining Reading and Oxford United into the ‘Thames Valley Royals’.

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He also worked as an agent, with former Reading goal ace Kerry Dixon and defender Steve Wood among those first on his books.

Former Chronicle sports editor, Roger Ware, a close friend, said: “I knew Brian for more than 60 years since we were juniors in the Chronicle newsroom in the early 1960’s - and our careers often ran in parallel from then on.

“Together we later formed the Reading Sports Agency, covering the area as freelances for national newspapers and radio stations, and subsequently we both worked in the international sports sponsorship department of Rothmans. Brian also became a partner in the Reading News Agency.

“In football terms, our most satisfying time was being part of Roger Smee’s ‘war cabinet’, successfully fighting off Robert Maxwell and Frank Waller’s ill-judged merger. Six of us met at Smee’s house the night the merger proposal was first revealed, and continued meeting frequently over several weeks until the battle was won.”

Even after his health began deteriorating, Brian remained a popular ever-present - and fount of all RFC knowledge - in the Press Box at the Madejski Stadium.

His two sons, Stuart and Mark, are both lifelong Reading fans, and Mark is currently the man behind the successful “1871” podcast, dedicated to all things Reading FC.

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Brian is also survived by his second wife June, and grandchildren Sam, Jessica, Ebba and Greta. He also remained close friends with Mark and Stuart’s mother, Pat.

 

* The 150 Years of Reading FC exhibition at Reading Museum is proving popular and among recent visitors were current players Michael Morrison and Luke Southwood along with ex-star Lawrie Sanchez. There is so much to see in the Sir John Madejski Art Gallery that club historian David Downs recommends a full viewing will last for close to two hours. Admission is free.

 

Column by Dave Wright

davewrightpost@gmail.com