Joe Gadston - A Tribute

The club were desperately sorry to learn of the death of former manager Joe Gadston last week at the age of 80, after his long battle with Parkinson's disease, and we send our deepest sympathies to Maria, Linda, daughter Victoria, his three stepchildren and two grandchildren.

Joe became manager of the club at the start of the 1982–83 season, the second season that the club were playing at our current site. I had known Joe for some time, living close to each other in Hanwell, and we were playing golf at Brent Valley shortly after he had ended his spell as manager at Ruislip Manor. I was the current manager at Hanwell but keen to relinquish that responsibility, and managed to persuade Joe to take up the manager's role at Hanwell, helped by the small matter of a £20 per week salary!

Joe's arrival signalled the start of a new beginning at the club. Through his connection at Brentford, on 15th July 1982 he arranged for a game at the club between a Hanwell Town squad and an Ex-Bees All Stars XI. The Hanwell team included so many newcomers who were to go on to make significant contributions on and off the pitch in years to come: Phil Player, Paul Day Haynes, Kenny and Stuart Swift, Kevin Cotton, Martin Sheffield, Roy Nairn, Tim Soutar, etc, etc.

Joe resigned at the end of the 1984/85 season, but not before he had been responsible for restarting Hanwell's Youth Section, a section that remains active at the club to this very day.

Joe's own playing career prior to his move into management commenced at Brentford, where he did not make a first-team appearance but became Football in the Community Officer at the club in later life. He subsequently played for Cheltenham Town, where he was Player of the Year in 1968, and Corby Town, but his main period was spent at Exeter FC from 1969 to 1972, making 85 League appearances and scoring 30 goals. Joe became a Director of Exeter City from 1999 to 2002 and is credited with introducing Director of Football, England international and Tottenham Hotspur legend Steve Perryman to the club.

Joe had a wonderful asset in that he had so much time for people, as he tried to improve their sporting life, be it football, golf, etc. Joe would always be on hand to help them.

No mention of Joe would be complete without thanking Steve McPherson for his wonderful friendship with Joe that lasted 49 years. Football friends at Ruislip Manor, Steve, since moving to Swanage, has cared for Joe throughout his long battle with Parkinson's, the disease that finally brought his life to an end.

May Joe rest in peace.
Bob Fisher
HTFC President