RIP Fred Furniss - 1922 to 2017

[Silent Blade]

View attachment 25505 RIP Fred

West Ham 5 Blades 1 in 19th January 1952. Back row l to r; Harry Hitchen, Fred Furniss, Ted Burgin, Harry Latham, Maurice McLafferty, Joe Shaw.
Front row; Fred A Smith (little Fred), Len Browning, Harold Brook, Alf Ringstead, George Hutchinson

 

[bigbirdblade]

RIP Fred.

 

[Kentblade]

RIP Fred Furniss on all accounts a quality player

Fred Furniss was a great right back and never missed a penalty.
Part of the famous defence of Burgin Furniss Cox ,Hitchen Latham Shaw J.
I had the pleasure of supporting the Blades in those days.
Never to be forgotten.

RIP Fred.

 

[alpine blade]

When my father returned to Sheffield in the summers while working in Portugal, he would always know where to find Fred (on the bowling green ). They would have a game or two and have a chat and a laugh about past times. My father was very picky about the ex players he would look up for a chat. Fred was always on the " look up " list.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Prompted by Freeman's goal-scoring feats, Matthew Bell in today's local paper discusses United's full-backs over the years, including Fred Furniss, who scored 15 out of 17 penalties, a decent record. In the 1970s the local team I played in goal for drew Ecclesfield Red Rose (I think) in a cup match, and Fred Furniss, now in his 50s, was right-back. For 85 minutes I only saw him at a distance (full-backs did not cross the half-way line then), but a few minutes from the end, with us 4-0 down, one of our team gave away a daft penalty, probably to test me against FF. The ball was muddy and heavy, and as anyone who has kept goal will remember, some moments you just know nothing is going to get past you. He put the ball on the spot, walked back 3 or 4 paces, walked towards the ball, and I had my eyes fixed on his, ready to dive the right way and achieve my moment of glory. When he got to the ball, I heard a noise behind me, and to my horror saw the ball in the back of the net. I did not even see it go past me. Ever since then, I have looked at professional footballers with respect for their ability.

I missed this thread last week. Sad to hear of a good man's passing. If I have loaded this quote properly, I hope you will forgive me repeating a story I have posted before.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

RIP Mr Furniss.
Share some of your stories with dad up there please. He'd love to hear them.

 

[Gabsblade]

I remember seeing him play for a snooker team against the Central Deaf snooker team in Surrey Place in the mid 1980s. I then told a friend of mine (born 1909 died 1989) who played chess with me about Fred being in the Snooker room. My friend who was a Blade immediately came down to speak to him and they chatted for about half hour. I shook Fred's hand. A true gent!

That would most likely have been whilst he was playing for the Philadelphian Working Men`s Club. Fred was a snooker regular in the club for most of the years that my Stepdad was the Steward. He very rarely drank apart from the occasional small glass of wine, but was such a polite, old school gentleman. RIP Fred

 

[grafikhaus]

One evening last week on Football Heaven, Denis Clarebrough (author of 'The Complete History...') was allowed to give a moving account of his memories of Fred. In the middle of the usual diet of Mark The Pitsmoor Pig and Brian 'The Blade', it was a rare moment of quality by Denis, about Fred.

RIP

 

[Blade56]

From Sheffield United Football Club:

It is with great sadness at such a fantastic time for the Club that we inform our football family of the passing to a higher League of one of its members

Fred Furniss was Sheffield born and bred- a pupil of Phillimore Road school in Darnall who shone out as a sportsman as a youngster, playing at Football for both Sheffield and Yorkshire boys

Fred would tell you that he made his debut for Sheffield United as an Amateur away at Goodison Park, home of Everton, in the middle of an air raid- quite an entrance to a career in red and white that would span 433 games

He worked as a Bevin Boy at Orgreave colliery before joining the war effort in the Royal Artillery. The talented right back became a first team regular in 1943 and held his position until 1954, a measure of how great a player he was

His record as a penalty taker was superb, missing just 2 of the 17 that he took for the Club. He played a vital role in lifting the Wartime League North Championship of 1945/46 and also the League Division 2 title of 1952/53.

When Cec Colcwell finally took his place, he moved on to Chesterfield Town as a player coach before a spell at Worksop Town. Incredibly, Fred was playing local League football well into his 50’s- when he hung his boots up he then refereed many youngster’s games around the City

He was a formidable crown green bowler of some repute- an all-round gentleman, sportsman and Blade

Up to a few years ago he was a regular watcher at home games from the stands and also could be seen at every Senior Blades meeting- Fred led a full life

The Club salutes one of its oldest boys- Fred would have been delighted that we clinched promotion at the weekend and would be willing Chris and the boys to do what he did back in the day- lift the League championship

Our away game on Friday at Port Vale will see us in our black and orange change strip and, as we want to remember Fred in a manner befitting one of its sons, the team will don black arm bands in his memory for the home game against Bradford City

At the time of his death, Fred was the second oldest surviving Sheffield United player

The thoughts of the Club are with his family at this sad time

I'm guessing Fred did not 'go gentle into that good night' given that moving account of a life lived to the full.

RIP Fred

 

[1973Blade]

Wasn't there meant to be a minute's applause for Furniss on two minutes? Sadly I think it got forgotten with all that was going on. Perhaps there should be a minute's applause before the Chesterfield game.

 

[UnitedBlade]

Wasn't there meant to be a minute's applause for Furniss on two minutes? Sadly I think it got forgotten with all that was going on. Perhaps there should be a minute's applause before the Chesterfield game.

Yes, applause on 2 minutes is always going to be difficult.

I thought they might do something at half time. The logical conclusion now is to do it formally before the Chesterfield game. I'm sure the club will pick this up.

 

[XM657]

Reiterate what a smashing bloke Mr Furniss was. Used to deliver greengroceries to my Granddad and his brother in law, always time for a chat especially about United. He was in my first team and remember with some clarity his own goal V Bury on New Years Day 1952. Whenever Freds name comes up in family conversations that event is always regaled but not in a disparaging way. It was his total effort to head the ball away, despite it being slightly too high for him, from a long Hoof out of defence. Picture, crap Lancashire day every thing soaking and ankle deep in mud . United on attack with Fred left to defend on edge of box centrally positioned. Then comes said Hoof, Fred jumps to head clear, skims off top of his head gathers momentum and over a surprised Ted Burgin sliding in just under the bar.

 

[Silent Blade]

 

[Geordie Blade]

"Still, victory [against Wednesday] meant as much to the fans as it did to us, of course".

Interesting that it occurred to him that the fans might care as much about a local derby as the players. Nowadays, the players would be trying to convey it the other way around ("we care as much as the fans do... honestly!"). Different times.

 

[mikeheath]

Thanks for resurrecting this Silent, somehow I’d missed it when it originated.
What an unassuming man he was. I met him at a match in a quiet South Stand and he started chatting but I had no idea who he was, so I asked and he told me his name and that he scouted for us. Only later did I realise when I looked him up.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

View attachment 194795
View attachment 194797

I assume it is no coincidence that you have posted this in the week that we are mourning the loss of our best number 2 of recent decades. Football changes constantly, but I think this piece suggests that players who become club legends have at least one human characteristic in common: perhaps ‘authenticity’ is the appropriate word.