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Pete’s Picture Palace · Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:02 pm Post subject: Jeff Bourne RIP

I have to say the sad early death of Jeff Bourne, ex Palace, Derby Co, Sheffield United, Vancouver Whitecaps & Atlanta Braves striker, aged just 66 has brought a tear to my eye.

There's no Indy obit for Jeff as his league career wasn't long but he had a huge effect in his 32 league games at Selhurst, scoring 10 goals and of those 10, 9 came at the end of the 76/7 season after we signed him just before deadline day. There's no doubt that his goals got us out of old Div 3 and we haven't been back since.

His cool injury-time strike to make it 4-2 at Wrexham on a cold May night lives forever in the memory of any Palace fan who made that long journey.

What really saddens me is that Jeff died of Motor Neurone Disease, a sickening and totally debilitating illness that killed my father in 1989 - you may recall it also killed Jimmy Johnstone, Don Revie and Willie Maddren and I'm sure there are more footballers in that list. I've been fund-raising for the charity, the MNDA, for 7 or 8 years now, running quizzes and have so far raised over £8000. If anyone would care to make a contribution, no matter how small, to the charity, here's the link:-

http://www.mndassociation.org/get-involved/fundraising

And here's a nice pic of Jeff on his Palace debut v Brighton, March 1977.
RIP fella.

Wullie · Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 3423

Rob Hindmarch tragically was another. There seems there could be link with the disease and football.

Pete’s Picture Palace · Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:26 pm Post subject:

I don't think the link's with MND, but it's been proven (and nothing's been done about it) there's a link with endless heading of the old leather balls and Alzheimers. The on-going saga of Jeff Astle is a case in point.

It's a disgrace that with all the money sloshing around at the FA, and of course, FIFA, nothing is being done about it. But why should I be surprised?