AN obituary to former Tilbury manager Tommy Harris, by Lloyd Brown.

“It is hard to know just where to begin when talking about Tom. There is so much that he did in his life and career in football. True it was at our level of the game, not Premiership or such like, but I am totally convinced that no-one knew more about the game, and certainly no one loved it more. Tom was truly a ‘Mr Football’.

He came to Tilbury in the early 1950s, as a player in our Corinthian League days. He was a ball-playing, creative inside forward - in modern terms a midfield general. He only stayed with us for a short time, his ability took him to levels above our own. But wherever he went Tilbury always remained ‘Tom's club’, he loved it.

In the early 1960s when successful boss Frank Smith had to leave, Tommy was the first to ask to come and take over. The Committee at the time were not daft, they let him. Tilbury, before Tom came back, was a successful club. After he came back, we were a successful club. It was a shock to all of us when, in 1968, he left to take over at what was a struggling Grays Athletic.

Several years then elapsed and Tilbury continued to be successful. Then, when Terry Matthews left us to take over at Walthamstow Avenue, the Committee surprised everyone by bringing Tommy back to the club, even though he had not been involved at our level for several years. It proved to be an inspired decision.

I was proved wrong in a big way. I had, as a Committee Member, voted against Tommy. I had, always did and still do, like him as a person immensely. I felt that after so long away from Senior Football, he would not be up to the task we needed doing. I still, to this day, have a feeling of shame about that.

Tommy, no dramatics, just did what he had always done. He realised that he had to rebuild Tilbury FC, to bring in quality players to add to those that stayed rather than follow Matthews to Walthamstow. He did it. Somehow, he persuaded Essex County players such as The Wallace brothers, keeper Tony Armstrong, full back Neil ‘Twiggy’ Partner to leave Harwich & Parkestone, and Alan Dennis to come from Colchester.

The result? The proudest moment in the Club's history. All the way from the Extra Preliminary Round through to the 3rd Round Proper of the F.A Cup in 1977/78, away to Stoke City. True to his flamboyant nature, Tom turned up in a brilliant all white suit.

Tom guided us through the next year or so, but eventually felt that it was time to retire, and it was with great reluctance that the Club accepted this. It truly was the end of an era.

I've known Tom since I was nine-years-old. He was manager, my Dad was first treasurer then secretary, and I was taken to all the games. He was kindness personified to a young kid. Looking back, that's now no surprise. Tom loved talking to and coaching kids. He never stopped. Even as he entered his 80s, he was still available to anyone who asked.

In his later years, despite living on Canvey Island and not having his own transport, he would come to ‘his club’, Tilbury, three or four times a season just to watch and catch up with anyone he knew or who recognised him. In those years, before I stopped being secretary, if I saw Tom I would make a bee-line to him, and often the chat and reminiscences were so engrossing that we missed large parts of the game.

If you want to, forget Tilbury FC, the game of football itself has now lost the kind of asset that is irreplaceable. I guarantee that there is nobody who knew Tom who will not miss him greatly. We rarely met in recent years, the occasional phone call, the Birthday and Christmas cards. I wish I had been more conscientious.

Tommy, an excellent player for Tilbury, great manager for Tilbury, all-round good bloke and, I hope, friend. R.I.P.