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A TRIBUTE to KEVIN "KEV" TOWNEND

A TRIBUTE to KEVIN "KEV" TOWNEND

Roger Locke14 Oct 2019 - 10:59
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https://www.chosenhillrfc.co.u

Former player Kev Townend passed away on Monday 7th October - Please see note at end of tribute about parking at the church

On Monday 7th October, Kev Townend, one of our players from the early and mid-seventies, passed away after a 12 month battle with cancer.

Although those of us who knew Kev were aware that he was very poorly, his untimely death still came as a bit of a shock to all of us and he will be greatly missed and long remembered.

So what can we say about Kev by way of a tribute?

Well, he joined us in the very early 1970’s and was an all action wing forward who always gave a 100% effort whenever he played.

As a builder, Kev helped with the building of the clubhouse and one day was allocated Mick Reid and Col Brockhurst (both of whom can still regularly be seen supporting Chosen Hill) to work as his labourers. Kev was a pretty quick brick layer and after just a couple of hours his labourers were struggling to keep up with him, so not only did he lay them, but he also had to help load out the bricks and mix the muck. Everyone always said Col Brockhurst was a bit of a banker!

His main claim to fame for Chosen Hill was when he played in the April 1973 Kingsholm Final of the North Gloucestershire Combination Senior 7’s Cup against Coney Hill, a match we went onto win 13-0 with the resultant victory sparking great celebrations and a boozy Thursday night out at Gloucester’s then favourite night spot “Tracey’s”

Always ambitious to play at a high level, Kev left Chosen Hill in 1977 and joined Cheltenham - at that time Cheltenham were a top club who regularly played the likes of Gloucester, Bristol, Bath, Coventry and Moseley.

The highlight of his whole rugby playing career was on Wednesday 13th September 1978 when he played at blindside flanker for Cheltenham against Gloucester in front of a packed Kingsholm.

Cheltenham who were captained by hooker Maurice Hamblin also included Gareth Warren at inside centre (Gareth was a teacher at Chosen Hill and later played for the Former Pupils) and Cheltenham went on to win the match by 10 points to 6.

When some of us met up with Kev last December for a drink and to chat about the old times, we talked about that Gloucester match, and although it was 40 years ago, Kev’s face beamed with pride as he went on to name every one of that Cheltenham team including the replacements, so we all know how much that win meant to him!

Kev was a guy who enjoyed the social side of rugby and some of our memories of him include his many exploits in his legendry 3.0 litre Ford Capri. Not only did he hold the world speed record for driving from the rugby club to Ken’s Chinese Restaurant in the old Cattle Market but also there is still in a gap in the hedge just up the road from the Rugby Club where he failed to keep to the road after claiming that “the Capri’s steering just jammed up”!

Like most rugby players, Kev liked the odd drink, and whilst trying out Grolsh lager for the first time at The Lower George in Westgate Street he famously declared “this stuff tastes like pop” – five pints later, as we picked him up off the floor, he mumbled something about “bloody strong pop”

He also liked his Chinese food and was once asked to leave the Chinese Take Away in Hucclecote after arriving just after pub closing time and innocently asking the staff member to complete his order by saying “could you pop a couple of prawn crackers in me old china?” – “out you go” came the reply!

It was on a regular Saturday night out in Gloucester at the old Tiffany’s Night Club that Kev first met Bronny and it is rumoured that to try and impress her he asked her to take off one of her shoes and he then proceeded to pour his beer into the shoe and down it in one!

The stories and memories go on and on and everyone who knew Kev will have their own special memory.

Fond memories of a great rugby player, a great bloke and a real man’s man who will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Kev’s funeral will take place at 2.00pm on Wednesday 23rd October at his local church, The Church of St Mary, Church Lane, Priors Norton, Gloucestershire GL2 9LS

Please note that there is very limited parking at the church and Nick Townend has asked that where ever possible people travel together in full cars rather than in cars that have only one or two occupants. Maybe meet up at The Hatherley Manor hotel (where the after funeral reception will take place) and leave some of the cars there and travel to the church together with other attendees.

Apparently there is an overflow or reserve car park in a field in the lane leading up to the church and Nick has suggested trying to park here rather than driving right up to the church as this area will need to left clear for the funeral cortege.


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A Tribute to Kevin "Kev" Townend

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