Continuing on from our last article, I take a look at the personal relationship I had with Paul and go into detail about what he got up to after his playing days were finished.
Due to injury, Paul retired from playing in 1979 and was appointed club scout and reserve team coach , which gave him more time around the club, and it, became a routine for him to come up to the commercial office after training each day, for a cup of tea and a chat and a laugh.
By this time my wife, Barb, was working in the office as well, and when ever Paul entered he always referred to her as ‘Duchess’, I am sure she felt it was just for her, but, in truth, I think he called all women ‘Duchess’.
Over the course of the next couple of years, I got to know Paul reasonably well, and, when ever he came up to the shop and commercial offices ,which were situated in the High Rd, work would stop as he was always loud and funny, he was a very big personality which attracted people to him and our staff were no different.
I am sure, people would call him a typical Eastender with his sense of humour and attitude to life. He was a great one for a laugh, whether it was just joking around or dressed as an old woman at the clubs fancy dress party, I do have a picture dressed as such.
During one of these chats that I mentioned previously we decided to organise an end of season staff and players party at one of Paul's relatives shops in Ilford Lane. We arranged for the drink to be delivered to me and then move it to Ilford Lane and his relatives would do the food. It was a great night, with all the staff and players enjoying night very much, my greatest memory of this night was the young players of the time, Colin Foster and I believe John Cornwell plus others, doing the rowing boat song with actions on the floor.
In 1981, Paul was given the job of standing in for Jimmy Bloomfield while Bloomfield was in hospital. At the beginning of the next season, Jimmy Bloomfield had to resign due to his poor health, and, Paul was appointed as the new manager of the O's.
The staff generally were pleased as he was so well liked, however, the results on the pitch didn’t go as we would have liked and after a very short period of 3 weeks he was sacked - which is unfortunately still to this day the shortest managerial reign at Leyton Orient.
Avoiding the politics of the issue, this was deemed as very bad decision. He had only had a very short time to impact the team, the fact that Pauls successor, Ken Knighton, was in the stand at his last game at Watford didn’t help the situation.
On the day of his dismissal, he came in to the commercial centre as he usually did, but, he was not his usual lively, laughing self. To say he was devastated, would be an understatement, it was very sad.
With the benefit of hindsight, it can be seen that Knightons reign was not successful and resulted in relegation for the club, a plus point was that he brought Frank Clarke to the club. The action that Brian Winston took with dismissing Paul was taken with what was thought to be the best interests of the club, but, as stated this was not the outcome, one can only wonder what the outcome would have been if Paul had been given longer.
After his dismissal Paul, needless to say, disappeared from the club, to become the Landlord of a pub in White Roding, Essex ( Tommy Taylor's old pub). I had been there once before, just before the team went on tour to Nigeria, there had been a BBQ for the players and staff.
A kick about was set up with all players and staff involved, my thoughts originally were 'oh, what happens if I hurt a player accidentally'. Well, the way the tackles and kicks went in, I should have been more worried for myself.
About six months after Paul left the club Barb and I went up to the pub to see him, he was his same old self, loud and the life of the pub, perfect landlord, the next day he was playing for the Sunday/pub team, we didn’t see him again for 30 years.
We were eating in the restaurant at the club and he was the host and guest player of the day, he was a regular at this, it was good to briefly catch up with him, but, I noticed how ill he looked, and when he told me his health issues, it became a great concern as to his life expectancy.
I saw him another couple of times after that, the last being just outside the main entrance, when he was smoking. It was a very sad day when I heard of his passing.
I will say that I knew Paul for two years, so, it was not a lifelong friendship, it actually was just two work mates who got on well together. The friendship was probably more important to me than him, but, it was worthwhile and something I look back on as a good time. May he rest in peace.
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