It is with much sadness that we learnt of the death of club legend Johnny Ray.
Johnny, who passed away at the end of September aged 79, was a member of the history-making Telford United side that made back-to-back FA Trophy final appearances in 1970 and 1971.
The Lilywhites lost the first of those games, the first-ever FA Trophy final, but returned the following season to claim the Trophy, coming from 2-0 down to defeat Hillingdon Borough 3-2.
Johnny served Wellington Town and Telford United for close to a decade. He joined the club from Shrewsbury Town in 1966 at just 19 years of age and made his debut on 20th August that year at Barnet in a Southern League Premier Division fixture, which ended in a 2-0 defeat.
He amassed 604 appearances, the last of which came against his former club Shrewsbury on 29th April 1976. Johnny bookended his career at the Buck’s Head with a 2-0 victory, clinching the Shropshire Senior Cup in his final appearance.
A Johnny Ray goal was a collector’s item; he scored 9 goals over his ten seasons, and club historian and statistician Maurice Barker recalled Johnny as “a cultured wing-half who was never easily flustered.”
After Telford, Johnny also represented Kidderminster Harriers and Brereton Social, but he spent the best days of his football career at our club.
We send our heartfelt condolences and sincerest best wishes to Johnny’s family, his friends, and all who held him close to their hearts. His contribution to a formative part of our club’s history means Johnny’s name will live on in the hearts and memories of so many.
The news of Johnny’s passing came in a week when we also mourned the loss of former Buck Courtney Meppen-Walter and Michael Frater, who played a significant role in the formation of AFC Telford United.
We will aim to commemorate their loss ahead of a Bucks’ home fixture in the near future.