Cheltenham League Notice Board

• 21/10/2004 - Peter Jurd: 1939 - 2004

The funeral of Peter Jurd, the General Secretary of the Cheltenham League, was held at All Saints Church, All Saints Road, Cheltenham, this morning. That the Church was attended by a large congregation, all wishing to pay their respects to Peter, testifies to the regard and fondness in which his memory is held. The service lasted some 45 minues, during the course of which Joe Webster, the Secretary of Smiths Athletic Football Club, which Peter served so diligently for so many years, gave an uplifting eulogy of his own personal memories of Peter and Gordon Cook, the Chairman of the Cheltenham Association Football League, delivered one of two readings.

Peter was born on 12th August, 1939, and attended All Saints School in his formative years. After school, he worked at "The Famous" Gentlemen's outfitters in the town before receiving his call up papers to perform his national service. He joined Smiths Industries in 1966 and started playing for the company's football club the year after, in 1967. In all, over the course of the next 25 years, he was to make 556 appearances for Smiths Athletic, a total which stands, not surprisingly, as a club record. Peter became Secretary of Smiths Athletic in 1969 and held the position for the next 30 years, after which he was elected to the Presidency of the club, an office he held until he died. Peter joined the Management Committee of the Cheltenham League in 1987 and became its Assistant Secretary in 2001. He amalgamated these duties with those of the Secretary of the League and became General Secretary in 2002. His legacy to the League is a highly organised, efficiently run competition and the high esteem in which he is held by his fellow officers and all member clubs alike is testament to the debt of gratitude that he is owed by all those involved.

Peter died at his home on October 13th, 2004. He is survived by his son Stephen, his second wife, Anita, and his two step daughters. The most sincere condolences of everyone connected to the Cheltenham League are offered to his whole family.