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John Sewell RIP
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John Sewell RIP

 
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Pete’s Picture Palace
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Joined: 19 Feb 2013
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Location: Wallington Surrey

PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2021 1:16 pm 
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Sad day for Palace fans of a certain age, the man who skippered Palace to our first-ever promotion to Div 1 in 1969, then did his best to keep us there for 2 years, John Sewell, has passed away in California aged 85, after a long struggle with dementia.

Brockley born, a right back who joined Palace from Charlton in October 1963, and after nearly 200 games at the Valley, he made the No 2 shirt his own at Selhurst and played 258 games in all, and was captain for about 4 seasons. Always sartoriously dressed, he was known fondly as "The Duke" in the dressing room and equally fondly as "Shovel" on the terraces. This goal v Leeds, thrown over his shoulder by Gary Sprake in 1970, illustrates that the Palace terraces were right!

https://twitter.com/awmcs/status/1462383290971791367

On leaving Palace, he joined the exodus to Orient in 1971 but only appeared 7 times there, and then also played in the formative NASL, for St Louis Stars, for a couple of seasons. After leaving football he moved to America's West coast and traded as an antique dealer for many years, but was always ready to come home for Palace reunions through the years.

Here he is in action at his old club and against an old teammate at Charlton, Keith Peacock - FA Cup 3, Jan 1969:-


And here as smart as always in 1964:-



RIP Shovel, sorry, John. Never forgotten here at Palace.
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Alytheeagle



Joined: 26 Feb 2021
Posts: 18

PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:20 pm 
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Sad to hear. My old man was a salesman for a knitwear company and John Sewell was coming close to retirement and was opening up a clothing shop. Imagine my amazement as a young 7 or so year old, when John Sewell and his young lad turned up at our house, then going over to Mitcham common for a game of 3 and in. Priceless memory.
Could you imagine a premiership player retiring now and having to open up a shop to make a living!
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Dorking



Joined: 05 Feb 2010
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:46 pm 
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Even when he was playing he ran a mother and baby shop - prams, baby clothes etc. Think the shop was in Caterham.
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Pete’s Picture Palace
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Joined: 19 Feb 2013
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2021 8:38 pm 
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Thinking about it, he may well have had a childrens' clothing shop in the USA, the antique business may have been another old player (Bobby Kellard?). Getting confused in my old age.

Talk of players running businesses after they retired, and the difference between then and now. Well Tom Finney was the "Preston Plumber" while he was playing and ran his business till he dropped. I've had photos of Maurice Norman (Spurs double-winner and 23 England caps) after he'd retired, in the wool shop he'd bought his wife while he was playing, and Ronnie Clayton (Blackburn & 35 England caps) in his newsagents shop after retiring. An old Palace player, and manager for a time, Fred Dawes, also ran a newsagents in Shirley, Croydon after he finally left the club, and I know that because one of my school-mates had a paper round there.

These stories are endless, we must all be aware of some of our old favourites after they retired.
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stfc831968



Joined: 09 Mar 2017
Posts: 187

PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2021 9:22 pm 
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Don Rogers is still working in his shop in Swindon aged 76. I believe it opened in the late 60's and i think the club arranged it at the time as a sweetner to keep him at Swindon. As i wasn't born until 1968 i'm not 100% sure that part is correct. If anyone knows different let me know.

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colchestersid



Joined: 08 Mar 2009
Posts: 680

PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:08 pm 
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Stuart Hicks, ex Colchester United, Scunthorpe United, Leyton Orient and many others played up to the 2000s before moving in to high end menswear retail

https://www.mainlinemenswear.co.uk/about-us/

He was a customer of mine at the bank I worked at in the 1980s, a really nice guy
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manutd1977



Joined: 02 Apr 2018
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2021 5:57 pm 
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https://www.mickmartinpromotions.co.uk

Old Man Utd etc player Mick Martin in Workwear and promotional items
Met him a few years ago, nice bloke
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