(Former West Ham United, Penzance and Cornwall footballer)

GERRY Gazzard was born in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, and grew up playing rugby and very little football.

However, having served in the Royal Navy during the war, it was only then that he took the round ball game seriously. Once, when his ship made a visit to Falmouth a game of football was arranged between the ship's company and Truro City Reserves. Shortly after he was asked to join the Truro club and that encouraged him to leave the Navy and settle down in Cornwall.

After a short period with City, he moved to Penzance where his reputation grew and grew. As a brilliant inside forward a number of professional football clubs, including Plymouth Argyle, became interested in him and in May 1949, after having played numerous games for Cornwall, he signed on the dotted line for West Ham United (the above picture shows him in the West Ham strip – which is claret and blue).

Gazzard returned to Penzance after two successful seasons with West Ham, and a short spell with Brentford, to once again join the Magpies and become the local hero.

Over the years he coached, captained and played leading roles in helping Penzance Association Football Club win all the senior trophies in Cornwall.

In the fifties, his inclusion and popularity in the Magpies team was such that more than 3,000 people would pack into Penlee Park for a South Western League game against the likes of St Austell, Ilfracombe Town and Torquay United.

As the passing of the years caught up with the great man, his appearances on the field of play became less frequent and so he concentrated his efforts on the club administration, but at the same time encouraging and involving himself with the development of the club's successful youth policy.

It is almost impossible to discuss the history of Penzance Association Football Club without including Gerry Gazzard. He was one of the true gentlemen of the game in every sense of the word.

Gerry died in September 2006, aged 81.