Jack Spurgeon: Sudbury Rowing Club mourns a driving force

The Sudbury Rowing Club flag is flying at half-mast this week after the death of one of its oldest and perhaps most influential members over the past 70 years. Jack Spurgeon, of Acton Lane, Sudbury, joined what was then the Stour Boat Club in 1930 and by 1935 as well as rowing was an active committee member. In 1936 he was running the clubs credit betting football pool to raise funds and in 1937 a committee minute noted that the club would: “support the Sudbury nurses‘ home appeal provided Jack Spurgeon did all the paperwork”.

At that time the Stour Boat Club was very active in Sudbury’s social life and many prominent citizens were members and supported all events that occurred in the town. The annual regatta and carnival of which Jack was chief steward and treasurer for many years, were together with the Bank Holiday dances at the town hall, highlights in the calendar.

After his army service he returned to rowing and later to coaching. The sight of Jack sitting on river bank along Friars Meadow demonstrating the skills of rowing to dozens of young men through the 1950s and 60s will be a long and treasured treasured memory for many.

When the river was widened and straightened in the flood relief scheme, Jack Spurgeon and Ray Creswell came out of retirement and rowed in the first side-by-side race ever held on the Stour at Sudbury.

After his family and his work, rowing was Jack’s main interest and he remained an active member and trustee of the Club upto his death at on the weekend

In a tribute to Jack, Sudbury Rowing Club said the fact that the club is now more successful than at any time in its 121-year history and was about to launch a building programme was in no small measure due to the determination of Jack Spurgeon.