Hundreds pay their respects to the Terras legend Bob Lucas
By Adam Summers

Tuesday 7th September 2010

MORE than 300 wellwishers paid their final respects at the funeral service of ‘Mr Weymouth’ Bob Lucas.

Players, managers and officials past and present joined family and fans at a packed Pavilion Ocean Room to honour the Weymouth Football Club’s former president.

The Terras legend’s coffin was adorned with a Weymouth Football Club flag as the cortege made its way down the seafront.

Bob’s wife Jean and their children Linda, Michael and Lesley were joined by his grandchildren to hear funeral director Peter Lem describe Bob as loving, loyal, humble, inspirational, generous and trustworthy. Team manager Ian Hutchinson gave a speech to describe how Bob greeted him when he first arrived and inspired him ever since.

He said: “Bob was someone I looked up to greatly.

“His passion for Weymouth Football Club rubbed off on everyone who came into contact with him.

“When I visited him in hospital not so long ago you could see he wasn’t at all well but his positive attitude and passion for Weymouth still shone through.”

He added: “Weymouth has lost a truly charming gentleman who will be remembered for not just many a year to come but forever.

“Simply one of the nicest people I have ever met. God bless, Bob.”

Club historian and fan Nigel Biddlecombe also took to the stage.

He told how the Echo reported Bob’s arrival as a goalkeeper in 1949 – saying how Bob ‘will prove to be one of the best pieces of business’ the then manager Paddy Gallagher had done.

“I don’t suppose the writer ever thought that Bob was destined to have such an impact on Weymouth Football Club.

“But it sure turned out to be a decent bit of business.”

Officials from Dorchester Town FC also came to the service to pay their respects.

After Bob’s family left the Ocean Room the crowd stayed on its feet and gave a round of applause in his honour.

Before being taken to the crematorium, the coffin was driven to the Bob Lucas Stadium as Bob had not been back since chairman George Rolls went to hospital to tell him it was being renamed after him.

Bob died aged 85 at home in Culliford Way, Weymouth, on August 12 after battling prostate cancer.

He played for Weymouth for two years and was man of the match when they faced Manchester United at Old Trafford.