“I’m Alright” said Fred

AN ARTICLE BY SUPERSUB

In February 1993, Congleton Town were due to face Rossendale United FC (now dissolved) in a Northern Premier League fixture.  The day before the game, the programme editor Chris Phillips, received a phone call to inform him that a lifelong Congleton supporter, 85 year old Fred Cope, had sadly passed away the previous evening.  The programmes for the upcoming fixture had already been printed, but Chris wanted to honour Fred in some way & so he wrote an obituary, which he then photocopied & stapled inside the front page of the match day programmes.   

The following day, supporters arriving at the Cleric Stadium began to huddle in small groups & swap stories about their fellow supporter & friend, Fred Cope. It was then decided to make a change to the intended pre-match one minute’s silence, which had been arranged to honour Bobby Moore who’d passed away that week & announce it as being 30 seconds for Bobby & 30 seconds for Fred.  It was felt by many, that Fred himself would’ve loved to know that he was being honoured at the same time as the great Bobby Moore.   

The players of both sides had just begun to take their positions for the tribute, when there was a commotion at one of the turnstiles. A pale-faced turnstile operator had just admitted Fred into the ground, with cries of, “It’s Fred. He’s here, he’s here”.  When Fred found out what the commotion was all about, he was equal parts baffled & amused.  He had, that day, arrived unusually late at the ground, having spent some time at home looking for his door keys, before he could leave to go to the match.  “I wondered why I got some funny looks as I arrived at Booth Street” Fred said to Chris later, “I just thought that some people might’ve had a few more beers than usual.”  “It wasn’t until I saw the programme that I realised the real reason. I’ve been bad over the last week – but not that bad,” he joked.  

Chris dashed off to the tannoy & announced that the minute’s silence was about to start but it would now, as previously planned, be just for Bobby Moore, as Fred had arrived & was doing just fine. This brought loud cheers from those inside the stadium, before it all settled down & due respect was shown for the late Bobby Moore.  

Everyone was obviously overjoyed that Fred was alive & the day got even better for Congleton supporters, as they ran out easy 6-1 winners.  As for Fred, he’d arrived at the ground that day to strange looks from other supporters, then he got to read his own obituary, his team won 6-1 & then, to cap it all off, he also won £10 & a bottle of whisky in the raffle.   

Quite a day. Cheers Fred.   

When Fred did pass away a few years later, the club had a feature in the next match day programme & a full minute’s silence for the man himself.  Fred Cope, RIP.