Staffy

[Iron Age]

https://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/news/2024/may/in-memoriam-john-staff/

[Siderite]

Sad day. His call for raffle tickets was always a familiar sound.

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bartonscorpion, Just Iron, Iron-awe, CMC, Northumbiron, billpuntonsghost

[ironking]

RIP Staffy, a great bloke and friend.

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Iron-awe, CMC, Sanfran49, billpuntonsghost

[64]

That’s sad to hear ,something about his refusal to go digital had a certain charm.The club will find it hard to replace him

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bartonscorpion, Just Iron, Iron-awe, CMC, Sanfran49, Ferrite, billpuntonsghost

[Cliff Byrne’s Right Peg]

Calls of ‘draw tickets’ were as a familiar sound for me on DRE as any song growing up.

Only had the privilege to meet him a couple of times and he was fascinating company with limitless anecdotes for all things SUFC.

Condolences with his friends and family today.

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another fed up fan, Sanfran49, Iron-awe, CMC, billpuntonsghost

[lesgeo]

Have spent time in countless chats with this incredibly personable guy over the decades. A VERY easy bloke to like.
A blow to Scunthorpe and to the Iron.
Best wishes to his family.

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bartonscorpion, Sanfran49, Just Iron, Iron-awe, CMC, Ferrite, billpuntonsghost

[doris]

His first book on the Iron was a masterpiece.RIP John

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Iron-awe, CMC, billpuntonsghost, Deereyme66

[Ironawe]

Very sad news, I hope the club do something to remember him.

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Iron-awe, Sanfran49, billpuntonsghost

[cassidystash]

I’ve known John for almost 70 years since his move to Scunthorpe, both youngsters on Riddings and, after I moved, got to know him as a man during his time as chairman of the Scunthorpe “It’s a Knockout” club. Top bloke apart from when he was talking trains which bored me senseless. Can there ever have been a more dedicated fan of any football club? RIP John.

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another fed up fan, BarnardFoxtonBarker.., Ferrite, Ex Officio, bartonscorpion, Richard Ballard, Heath, Just Iron, Iron-awe, CMC, Awaywego, inspector, Plymiron, Sanfran49, Northumbiron, Ironawe, billpuntonsghost, Deereyme66

[ironingboard]

Sad news indeed.

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Iron-awe, CMC, billpuntonsghost

[Deereyme66]

Sad to hear this. RIP Staffy.

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Iron-awe, CMC, billpuntonsghost

[Ex Officio]

First met John as he regularly visited my next door neighbour to ‘play trains’. Later he had the dubious pleasure of teaching me how to operate an overhead crane on the works,Spoke with him on many occasions at the ground and on the many away trips where he organised, served drinks and ran raffles during most of the journey.The embodiment of a true fan and his presence will be sorely missed during the season.RIP indeed Staffy.

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Just Iron, Iron-awe, CMC, Awaywego, Plymiron, Ferrite

[TheJuryeffsOut]

Rest in peace John.

[Northumbiron]

A sad day indeed.

Last spoke to him at the South Shields away cup game. Talking about his new book for so long I couldn’t get away!

Hope Michelle and the team can find some way of ensuring his memory lingers on.

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Iron-awe, CMC

[Ferrite]

Condolences to his family.

Suggest a minute’s shout of “draaaaaaaaw tickets” at the first game next season.

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CMC

[iron64]

he will be sadly missed such a decent hard working dedicated fan. Remember playing in his footy quiz league. Staffy an iron legend

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bartonscorpion, Just Iron, CMC, inspector

[IronIronIron]

A great loss to his family, his friends & many Iron fans. A truly great supporter. RIP.

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CMC, inspector

[mistertonmick]

such a sad day, known him many years and such a nice bloke, remember him taking me and Earl Priestly to Macclesfield once and me an Earl lost him, and didn’t see him anymore until after the game, RIP John you was an Iron Legend

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CMC, Sanfran49

[Sanfran49]

Next season the first home game will be so strange, the shout “Draw Tickets, Half Time Draw Tickets” will only be in the memories.

You can replace players but how do you replace Scunthorpe Uniteds own ‘STAFFY’. He will never be forgotten, he is in the fabric of the club. The only plus in this is that he would be pleased at who now runs HIS club, that his club would be safe. His books told you what you needed to know about Scunthorpe United and its history and I think that series of articles in the programme regarding ex players in the 1st and 2nd World Wars are superb and emotional regarding their sacrifices. Wonder if anyone has looked at compiling them into a small book.

My sympathy to Christine and the boys. It was a pleasure knowing John and enjoyed all the chats we had over the seasons in the East Stand. God Bless Mr Claret & Blue. RIP.

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another fed up fan, lesgeo, Ferrite, bartonscorpion, Just Iron, Iron-awe, CMC, IronIronIron, inspector

[Apollo11]

A man who put a lot of time, thought and effort into the club, and therefore a loss.

I seem to think it was for the whole season, but do others remember him being on the front of the programme in the mid-80s?

[Siderite]

https://x.com/SUFCOfficial/status/1795483733669056619

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IronIronIron

[Awaywego]

A true Scunny legend as much as any player, probably the most known fan of all time looked after everyone on the away coaches you wanted for nothing.
His wife a true diamond as well putting up with all his memorabilia never mind about the train stuff, going with him on trips to do research on the iron the only time I met her was when they were going to Liverpool so he could go through the Liverpool echo archives for any mention of the iron.Very sad loss indeed.

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open hearth iron, inspector, Just Iron, Sanfran49, Heath, Cliff Byrne's Right Peg, Iron-awe

[CMC]

He was one of the first people i spoke to when i went to my first match. Before others came along he was the complete superfan, he would do anything for United.

Standing at the back of the Donny Road end you would look out until John made his way up to relieve you of a quid or maybe more.

I saw him last at South Shields too, he was more than a bit upset with the way the club was going down the pan.
Hopefully the club will look after his lad and grandson at future games – the family deserve it.
Rest in Peace John.

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Just Iron

[Iron-awe]

What a sad day, thank you John for not only being the number one Iron fan but for being a top top guy. Took him many boxes of old programmes down to his house for him to move on and donate the proceeds to the club and spent many hours just chatting to him on away coaches and in the ground on match days. Things will never be quite the same again watching the Iron play without John in the ground, RIP John we will all miss you.

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inspector, Sanfran49, Just Iron

[Cliff Byrne’s Right Peg]

Awaywego wrote:

A true Scunny legend as much as any player, probably the most known fan of all time looked after everyone on the away coaches you wanted for nothing.
His wife a true diamond as well putting up with all his memorabilia never mind about the train stuff, going with him on trips to do research on the iron the only time I met her was when they were going to Liverpool so he could go through the Liverpool echo archives for any mention of the iron.Very sad loss indeed.

This was one of the stories John told me about when I bought his latest book , I believe he only retrieved a small article from decades ago featuring Scunthorpe playing at Tranmere, he was more than happy with that as a day well spent.

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Awaywego

[TwoWrights]

RIP, and condolences to his family.

[Square Ball Bullimore]

Thanks to everyone for sharing memories both on here and X. I’m sure his family will shed a tear at how well he was thought of by one and all. A complete one of a kind gentleman and legend.

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Deereyme66

[Sanfran49]

Square Ball Bullimore wrote:

Thanks to everyone for sharing memories both on here and X. I’m sure his family will shed a tear at how well he was thought of by one and all. A complete one of a kind gentleman and legend.

I think John would have been surprised at how many people remember all his efforts for HIS team. For those who want to know a bit more about the club his books may still be available.

Well the research has been done so perhaps someone may think of maintaining the history of the club, I think he would appreciate that.

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Deereyme66

[ironfromafar]

Very sad to hear of Johns passing RIP

I really hope SUFC find a way to honour him in some way to keep his name forever at the club, talk of a museum were mooted a while back so how fitting would it be to be called the John Staff Museum.

Sincere condolences to Johns family and his many many friends he will be missed greatly.

UTI

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Sanfran49

[Apollo11]

ironfromafar wrote:

… how fitting would it be to be called the John Staff Museum…

I genuinely respect the sentiment on show, here – but any future museum housing Scunthorpe United stuff ought to be very clear about what it is (ie. it should be called The Scunthorpe United Museum) imho. There would be slightly more fitting ways to remember Staffy within it, I think.

[Author]

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