Remembering Ray – scorer of more than 500 goals in Sussex football

Mourners paid tribute to Ray Leaney, 69, from Burgess Hill at the service at the 1st Burgess Hill scout hut in Station Road, Burgess Hill.

Ray scored well over 500 goals in Mid Sussex League and Sunday football between his teens and his 50s.

An address given by Phil Dennett, a former Mid Sussex Times news editor and ex-football colleague.

Ray leaves a widow Jane, daughter Charlotte and two grandchildren. After living with leukaemia for several years, Ray died from cancer and his family have invited donations to Macmillan Cancer Support at raymondleaney.muchloved.com/ or sent to Family Funeral Services 82, Church Walk, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9AS.

Mr Dennett’s address was as follows: “A few years ago I was researching a book on the great Brighton and Hove Albion striker Tommy Cook, who began his career in the Mid Sussex League with Cuckfield FC.

"On a website I came across a snippet reporting that Ray Leaney had scored a total at least 500 goals for St Wilfrid’s, Plumpton, and Cuckfield in the same League. His last club had been Cuckfield and he had played there with distinction into his 40s. A new job as a train driver limited his appearances but he was playing occasionally into his 50s. Since he also played Sunday football goodness knows how many games he played and goals he scored in all, certainly one of the best records of all time for a Mid Sussex footballer.

“I put the goal statistic about Ray into the book, to illustrate the Cuckfield connection with Tommy Cook and highlight how talent like Ray’s could thrive, without the ambition to move up to a much higher level. He just loved playing local football.

“Ray got to hear about the book and I took him round a signed copy. I had last seen him many years before, not on a football pitch but at meetings of Mid Sussex Camera Club. He was a superb photographer. As well as an eye for a goal, he had an unfailing eye for beautiful landscapes.

“We got around to chatting about the indoor football sessions I run for, shall we say, more mature citizens. Despite our hazardously advanced ages, these are not walking football and are played at a fair pace.

“Ray and I had played together for the successful Mid Sussex Premier Division side St Wilfrid’s FC as young men. He was a fine centre-forward (that’s what they called strikers in those days) bustling, buccaneering even, but never unpleasantly belligerent. And always modest about his prolific goal-grabbing.

“To this day I recall a goal that typified Ray. I was playing left-back for St Wilfrid’s and managed to play a long low pass about 30 yards through the mud (pitches always seemed to be muddy then). It arrived by a miracle about three yards in front of Ray, who was already on a charge. In one powerful movement he hit it with awesome power past the goalkeeper. Then, instead of indulging in self-glorification, Ray ran 30 yards to thank me for the pass. That was so typical of Ray. His humility and modesty are things I shall always remember.

“There was another side to Ray - his cheerfulness and courage. While I was delivering my book, Ray mentioned almost casually that he had leukaemia. Seeing the transparent concern on my face he quickly re-assured me that medicine was keeping it under control. My mention of the football session had set off a spark, and Jane encouraged him to give the football a go, perhaps to get him out of the house for a while.

“One session illustrated Ray’s sense of humour. He and I were discussing how as a teenager I kept a diary of our occasional matches for Burgess Hill Boys Club, when we were both slim as pencils. Ray laughed as he showed off his now perhaps rather too ample figure and told me: “You wrote that I could make a fine centre-forward if I put on a little weight. So here I am.”

“Ray was an instant hit with our players, showing some deft touches as well as the occasional power shot. He told me often how much he loved playing again. But his games were later limited as he developed problems that soon began to look serious. In typical Ray under-stating fashion he said in his last email to me: “The tumours are proving to be stubborn.”

“He insisted he intended to return to the gym. His sudden decline and death were a great shock to us all and of course his relatives. The immediate tributes included “A really good photographer and a very gentle man.” “An amiable, good natured-chap” “A nice guy” “A really lovely guy and a decent player too” There were more, but I’d better stop as Ray would be blushing. For once, the well-worn cliché is true. Ray was indeed the real gentle giant. In this increasingly bitter world, it was a privilege to come across someone as genuinely nice as Ray Leaney.”