We’ve received the heart-rending news that our much loved and respected club member John Spooner has died at the age of 95. He passed away peacefully on Monday 10th August.

The area in front of the pavilion is called the Spooner Terrace; a testament to how John and four generations of his family form part of the fabric of the club. John followed his father as club captain, president and life member. John’s wife Beryl was the club’s first female life member, son Graham is the current president and grandson Adam made a half-century last week against the MCC. Hutton would simply not be Hutton without the Spooners. Our club will not be quite the same without John.

John first played for the club in the late 1940s. We have a photo of him in a benefit match between Hutton and Essex in July 1951. The last playing photo of him playing is with the 4th XI in the 1990s. In between he took hundreds of wickets bowling slow/medium cutters with immaculate line and length. Scored a number of runs as a lower order batsman. He was a competitive captain on the field and a most sociable skipper off the field always sharing a drink and stories with the opposition after the game. He was liked and respected amongst all the teams in the Essex league. He always insisted that the game was played in the right way and instilled this in the young players he coached and encouraged. Our annual player of the year award is named after him.

Off the field he was an active committee member and helped develop the club’s facilities. These were the days when the club was totally amateur and he enthusiastically joined in with roller duty, grass cutting and helping behind the bar.

In later years he was a constant presence alongside Beryl at the Polo Field matches supporting Graham, Adam and all the home teams. He’d always ask how the team had got on and how you’d done personally. He seemed to take genuine joy in people’s successes.

He and Beryl were also regulars at club socials especially quizzes where the team benefitted from his wide and deep sporting knowledge.

John and Beryl were such constant fixtures at the club that it’s almost impossible to believe that we won’t see his smile outside the pavilion this weekend. He was simply one of the nicest people it was possible to know, full of charm and grace and happy to share a story and joke. We will miss him so much. Our deepest condolences to Beryl, Graham and all the Spooner family.