Thank you to everybody who have contacted Norfolk Tennis to share condolences regarding the passing of Norfolk Tennis legend, Tony Spurgeon.
Tony's funeral will be held on 9 January 2026 at All Saints' Church Poringland (NR14 7LE), from 11:30am.
We have received so many messages and comments online and emails sharing stories and tributes from people across the Norfolk Tennis community.
Tony was involved in so many different ways, whether as a player, captain, coach, committee member, chairperson, fundraiser and much much more.
Please see below some of the tributes and please do share any stories you may have about Tony. Send to news@norfolktennis.co.uk
Robin Lincoln
Tony was always most enthusiastic about his and Norfolk's tennis. I first came across Tony in the early 1960s, just after he came out of the juniors (he was four years younger than me) and we played in many County and County A matches. In the early 1970s, we started to get a successful team together and graduated up the Summer County Week groups arriving in Group 1 in 1977. This was only a dream a few years earlier, but with Tony instilling a competitive spirit amongst the team we reached the dizzy heights of Group 1. Tony was a great leader and great company to us all as we travelled hundreds of miles across the country fulfilling all our fixtures. However, I think that his work on the NLTA committee really shows how keen he was on tennis and Norfolk in particular. I know that one of his passions was to get an indoor court at Cromer. It is so sad to lose both Tony and Jeremy [Cameron] so close together.
Martin Smith
I have known Tony Spurgeon, nicknamed 'Spud', since I was 18 years of age. We were good friends, but often clashed with our views on tennis. But Tony always had my deepest respect for his passionate belief in Norfolk Tennis. My fondest memory was when we were promoted to Group 1 in the Summer County Week at Budleigh Salterton. The week started late for me, as Tony had to pick me up from Bristol Airport late Monday morning. Tony moved heaven and earth to use his police background to get me through the airport quickly. However, we had to forfeit the first rubber and the team was not amused. However, as things transpired it was the best result. This short, little story underlines what Tony would do to see Norfolk succeed. I was unable to represent Norfolk a lot, due to national team commitments, but I always remember my times with the team captained by Tony. It was always great fun. Tony will be greatly missed for his total commitment to Norfolk Tennis!
Ian Quinton
Tony’s contribution to tennis wasn’t just limited to Norfolk LTA. As a Norfolk police officer he competed in County, Regional, National and International police tennis competitions and is regarded by the current Police Sport UK Tennis Section as one of its 'originals'. His involvement as a competitor spanned over four decades and he was one of those few individuals who, by his contribution and achievements, can be said to have forged the Tennis Section’s 'DNA'. As a competitor he won multiple national singles and doubles titles, winning his first in 1973, and, notably, winning the singles on the hallowed turf of Wimbledon in 1976. His longevity and collection of titles stands comparison with other PSUK tennis legends, but it was his tenure as Mens captain that marks him out. Under his long stewardship in the 80’s and 90’s, the Men's Section enjoyed considerable success and, in particular, won back-to-back Gold medals in the Men's doubles at the European Championships in 1991 and 1995. The 'Europeans' are rightly seen as the pinnacle of police tennis and these two successes remain the only Golds the Tennis Section has ever won at this level.
An early convert to the importance of fitness in tennis players, Tony's teams always showed he same competitive edge that he brought on court with him and a number of squad members from that era have 'fond' memories of early morning fitness sessions on Cromer beach!
He will be sorely missed by the police tennis family.
Rest in Peace, Spurge
Richard Palmer
I got to know Tony relatively late. I was Hon Secretary of Norfolk Tennis when Tony was elected President. As a relative newcomer to the Norfolk tennis fraternity through being a “tennis parent” I knew little of Tony’s long and impressive involvement with the County. That changed very rapidly as I was immediately exposed to many people who revered Tony’s commitment and enthusiasm for the County’s players and I of course also experienced it first hand working with him. He quite rightly received the LTA meritorious Service Award at an AGM held at the appropriate location of Carrow Road in 2015. We had many entertaining drives to and from various LTA regional events out of County.
Two things though really struck me about Tony - firstly his compassion. As Tony was an ex-policeman it would have been easy to expect him to be cynical. Far from it. I always found him to be compassionate and looking for the best in people - he even thought I could improve my “club hacker” level of tennis! And secondly he raised the profile of the word “dilatory”, which was one of his favourites - normally in a self deprecating way after some house project or another got in the way of one of his County commitments! I have taken to using it on occasion, and every time it brings back fond memories of Tony.
Stuart Silvester
Tony was one of the reason’s I first started playing tennis. It was his passion for the game that made everything so exciting. My brother and I were lucky to cross paths with him as juniors and benefitted greatly from his knowledge of the game. He installed a love of tennis into us and would always talk about Norfolk Tennis with a smile on his face, sharing many great stories. He had so much great advice on and off the court and always spoke with a wry sense of humour. We would play down at Cringleford Tennis Club most of the time and sometimes on sunny Sunday afternoons head over to Cromer and play in his American Doubles tournament. He might not have organised the event, but it felt like he did. This social event was Tony down to a tee, full of fun, competitive, sociable and full of learning. Sometimes the pairings were laughable and ridiculous, but this introduced so many people to each other of all ages and abilities. I reckon his love of Norfolk Tennis and Cromer was with him every day of his life and he would always be there to offer support if needed. If you were lucky enough to spend time with him then you had a friend for life. Even into his 70s, I remember telling him about a leaky gutter I had. The next day he was up a ladder sorting it out despite shaking with illness. His determination to remain active for as long as possible was incredible. It is this spirit I will remember for the rest of my life. Tony you Superstar, rest well my friend.
Patrick Howe
I was so saddened to hear the news of Tony Spurgeon passing away, and wanted to share a couple of stories about Tony. I grew up playing tennis in Norfolk in the late 1980s and 1990s. I came into contact with Tony around the age of 16 when I started to get asked to play in some men’s county matches against the other East region teams along with some of the other juniors at the time. Tony was an inspiration. I was desperate to do my best for him and my goal was to get a pick for the Summer County Cup. Probably due to injury, lack of availability etc I managed to get selected for my first County Cup, Division 7 at East Molesey around 1999 or 2000, it’s hard to remember the exact dates! I was buzzing, off to London and I was in a team with some players who were in a different stratosphere, Tom Spinks (who had recently played Wimbledon), Barry Fulcher and James Auckland. I was paired with my good pal at the time Clive Abel. Day 1, playing third pair against East of Scotland and we somehow won 3 out of 3! Tony had this unique ability to make you feel like he believed in you, you were part of something bigger and Tony was the leader that you looked up to — and listened to everything he said. I played a few more summer and winter County Cup ties before I left the area to settle in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. I was there at the 2004 Winter County Cup where Tony had to play a doubles rubber against Lancashire, with Chris Parker. He won it, it was incredible, he would have been close to 60 years old. That night he said we were off to celebrate, a night out at the Tuxedo Princess. This was a famous nightclub in Newcastle, on a big boat on the River Tyne. Tony, wax jacket on and a copy of the Financial Times under his arm, walked up to the two meat head bouncers and declared: ‘We are the Norfolk Tennis Team’, which somehow resulted in us skipping the long queue. Tony was larger than life on and off the court. You may not remember everything someone tells you, but you always remember how they make you feel. Thanks Tony.
Kelvin van Hasselt
Tony Spurgeon devoted his life to the Cromer Lawn Tennis & Squash Club. Tony played at Cromer from an early age. Like his contemporary, Roger Taylor, he never received coaching, but played endlessly with his age group on the Club’s upper courts to sharpen his skills with the aim of being good enough to play against adults on the lower courts! Tony was an inspirational Chair of Cromer Tennis Club in the 1970s. At that time, tennis in decline and squash in the ascendant. Tony was the driving force for the Club to build the two fine squash courts to take advantage of squash’s popularity. It required extensive negotiations with the North Norfolk District Council, fundraising and a loan from Barclays Bank, paid off within two years. It was a very shrewd move, and the Club soon had had 100 members in its internal league with squash courts fully booked all day until late in the evening. Squash members were also responsible for a huge amount of the fun social life at the Club in the 1980s and 1990s. Squash and the income it produced carried the Club through those times — and is still flourishing at the Club today with the appointment of a full-time squash coach, Henry Geaves, which Tony heartily approved of. Tony was also a superb tennis administrator, setting up a constitution for the Club, which with recent amendments is still going strong. Above all he was a great encourager — to players, coaches, committee members. In later years Tony also became a Trustee of the Club and in that role fought to maintain the independence of the Club, against a proposal to subsume the Club into a tennis hub and surrendering the lease on the Club’s two omni (artificial grass courts) with a possible threat to the future of Cromer’s famous 10 grass courts – among the best courts in the UK after Wimbledon. Tony’s fight resulted in the election of an entirely new committee, whose immediate task was to rebuild tennis membership at the Club, resurface the artificial grass courts and the tarmac courts (achieved in 2023). Tony continued to work hard with the next successor committee. Tony’s dream was for Cromer to have indoor courts again — as it did until the two indoor courts at Newhaven Court were burnt down in 1961. Tony put immense energies into this over many years. It was not achieved in his lifetime but maybe one day will. What Tony did leave was a tennis community inspired by his passion and love for the game – and a nationally famous tennis club here in Cromer, in robust health, which might not have survived without his leadership.
