On 14 December 2022, Bob sadly passed away. He hadn’t been well for some time nevertheless it still came as a shock to those of us who had known him for many years.
Keith Macinnes and I attended his funeral in Grantham, Lincolnshire on January 9. Rose had requested there was to be no black. Consequently, the crematorium was full of supporters wearing their Brentford shirts, home, away and the third kit. Brentford scarves were also on display. Among those supporters were those that Bob and Rose would stand with on the Ealing Road terrace at Griffin Park and probably away from home as well. Also in attendance was club chairman, Cliff Crown and Brentford Ambassador Marcus Gayle.
Bob’s coffin was covered in a Brentford flag and placed on it was a single rose. The pall bearers were four Brentford supporters. As we moved into the building ‘Hey Jude’ rang out, what else would you have expected.
It was clear when looking at the order of service it was exactly as he and Rose would have planned. After the introduction by the celebrant Bob appeared on screen talking from a hospital bed on a video. Bob had prepared it and Rose did not see it until the day of the funeral. Bob was his usual jovial self. He loved Motown and the next thing he asked us to do was to stand up and dance to Martha and the Vandellas ‘Dancing in the Street’. “Don’t worry “, said Bob. “It’s not the long version”. Everybody duly complied. We would never have thought that we would be moving about to ‘Dancing in the Street’ at a funeral, but this was Bob’s wish. At one point Bob’s sense of humour came to the fore when he said’ “I’m not really here, I’m in that box!”
A tribute from his cousin mentioned how Bob’s dad had introduced him to Brentford at a very early age, it became his passion for life. His commitment to following Brentford up and down the country despite living in Scotland for a while before moving to Lincolnshire is legend. It stands to reason that following the Bees so often away from home that Bob and Rose probably saw their beloved club lose more away games than they won. However, that did not deter the pair of them, and you would always see a smiling philosophical pair ready for the next away trip.
I had taken a letter from Cliff Crown to read out on behalf of the club. I would have been proud to have done that, but I’m sure it meant so much more to Rose and the family that Cliff was there to deliver it in person. Cliff commented on the fact that Bob would stand on the Ealing Road terrace in his short-sleeved Brentford shirt and shout out “shoot” when the ball got anywhere near the penalty area. A sound that can now be heard at every game across the country whenever the ball gets near the penalty area.
We left the building to the strains of ‘Freed from Desire’ by Gala Rizzatto. What else.
Following this celebration of Bob’s life, a number of those who attended the crematorium, ventured down to Bob and Rose’s local pub to share more fond memories of Bob. All food and refreshments were free courtesy of Rose, which was very much appreciated and nice of her.
Bob and Rose ran a very successful football programme and memorabilia business for many years. Bob had his own substantial collection of Brentford memorabilia that he has left to the club in his will. When the time is right for Rose, we will gratefully receive that collection. We will guarantee that it will be looked after and once a suitable place can be found, find a way of putting some of it on display for all to see. There can be no finer way of remembering a truly remarkable supporter.
Ron Cooper with Keith Macinnes
Rose and Bob Winstanley with Julian Jeanvier
Rose paid her own tribute to Bob in a post on the Griffin Park Grapevine: On Wednesday 14th December I lost not only my husband Bob but my sole mate, business partner & my football buddy of the last 42 years. This has left a massive void.
Thank you all for your kind messages. It is a great comfort to know in such dark times that Robert was thought so highly of by so many fellow bees.Thank you.Rose.
Keith Macinnes also represented Bees United at the funeral of Derek Hazel who passed away the same week as Bob. Derek too was a BU member for many years. It meant Keith driving down from North Wales to the crematorium in Hanworth but he said “Derek was a lovely bloke, it was the least I could do. He got a good send off from many of his friends. Peter Gilham gave a really good speech in which he threw in references to the club he always refers to as ‘Shepherds Bush’ plus a poem that was uniquely Brentford”.
Derek was praised for his various voluntary work with the Club; which included his many years serving as Treasurer of the Lifeline Society, serving in the bar, and organising coach travel for many years. His coffin was draped in a flag with the crests of both Brentford and the Lifeline Society.
Afterwards Peter Gilham posted this;
“I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who attended Derek’s funeral earlier this afternoon. It was, I believe, a fitting send off and tribute to one of the silent minority of people who play such an integral part in the background, working voluntarily for the good of this fabulous Club. Let’s hope that his legacy and others like him who gave of their time and energy for the Club that they loved, is that that Club never change and remain the club that got to where they are today by doing it the Brentford way. That’s what has made us so special and the envy of others globally. R.I.P. Derek.”