Post by jonw on Mar 24, 2020 20:50:26 GMT
This appeared in the match programme v St. Albans City on 14th March 2020
The club was saddened to learn of the loss of John Keeble on Sunday 1st March 2020, at the age of 82.
John was born in October 1937. He completed his National Service at the Aldershot Garrison, frequently visiting the old Aldershot F.C. in the old Third Division South. The ground had changed very little when he returned there in more recent times with Braintree.
After playing for Silver End in the early 1960’s, John followed his goalkeeping cousin Tim Keeble to Cressing Road. Tim made occasional first team appearances between the posts from 1962 onwards, making the majority of his appearances in 1963-64 and between 1965-67. John, meanwhile was one of two substitutes used in the 4-2 pre-season friendly defeat at Sudbury Town on 11th August 1964. Eleven days later he made his debut for the reserves, scoring twice in their Greater London League Reserve Division 5-0 victory at home to Crittall Sports. Good performances in the reserves earned John a first team call up and on 24th October he appeared on the left wing as Iron beat Hermes 3-1 at Cressing Road, to continue their 100% start to the season. John then returned to the reserves. He finished the season with 15 goals from 32 games for the second string.
Continued good form the following season earned John another first team call up. On 11th September he pulled on the orange no. 11 again, at Epping Town in the Greater London League. He marked the occasion with a goal in a 5-4 win. Retaining his place in the side the following week, John played in the 4-3 victory over Halstead Town at Cressing Road. A Braintree & Witham Times photographer was on hand to record the occasion of his only outfield start at Cressing Road. The players and officials pictured in the team picture taken on that day are (Back Row, left to right) Ron Webb (secretary), Peter Taylor, Roy Rendall, George Henderson, Peter Clarke, Don Wright (hopefully watching in his usual place today!), Dudley Gage, Albert Wylds (trainer). (Front Row), Malcolm Withycombe, Johnny Carter, Mike Stewart, Peter Smith, John Keeble.
John’s next home performance came five months later and was somewhat unusual. He had played on occasion in goal for the reserves, and when cousin Tim was injured he found himself called up to represent the first team in goal against East Ham United. Any pre-match nerves were soon vanquished as Iron took just six minutes to take the lead and won 10-1. Ron Webb reported “Poor John Keeble, an inside forward by choice but a goalkeeper by necessity. He had the easiest of first X1 debuts in goal. With so little to do he must have yearned to doff his jersey and join in the shooting practice at the other end”.
John played in four more first team games in goal that season, including an astonishing 5-1 win at league leaders Cray Wanderers. Woolwich Polytechnic were beaten 3-1 away before his only defeat as Eton Manor came to Braintree and won 3-1. The final appearance was at Faversham Town on 11th April. Appropriately the occasion was marked with a clean sheet in a 4-0 win.
After further appearances for the reserves in 1966-67 John returned to Silver End. He became manager there during the era in which they were a force in the Essex & Suffolk Border League and unsuccessfully applied for entry to the Essex Senior League. Twice he led Silver End against Braintree in Worthington Evans Cup ties under our lights, and he also represented them in the Braintree & Witham Times Soccer Quizzes in 1977 and 1978, which is where I first met him. These were big events, pitching teams of four representatives from Braintree, Witham, Coggeshall, Silver End and Shalford against each other in front of crowds of 150 spectators. His brother Bob was club secretary and also took part in the quiz team. The Silver End club folded at the start of the 1978 season, and John was soon back on the Cressing Road terraces where he has been regularly for the past 40 years.
After his football days John became a road runner and ran many Marathons and I believe he ran the USA Boston Marathon twice. He also loved fishing and was a very good vegetable gardener and in the summer months regularly entered local Gardening Club competitions and had favourable results.
He attended all three of our away play-off games in 2017-18 but has been unwell subsequently. He struggled over the last 18 months with walking. He had not been able to watch any matches this season and only attended a few last season.
Bob leaves a wife, Sheila, who he would jokingly refer to as his secretary! They had three children and five grandchildren. Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time, John was an absolute gentleman and we are going to miss him terribly.
With additional information courtesy of Roy Gooday that did not appear in the original article.