I was very sad to hear the news about Dave. He was the Colts’ manager when I first came to Ealing, running the side Stuart Laird and Bill Kennard. As Seamus says, Dave had a great gift of inspiring loyalty to Ealing and to himself and we had some great times and great tours. From what I hear he was a top notch Scout leader too. My thoughts are with his wife and family.

John Critchfield

So sorry to learn of David’s passing. My thoughts go out to Ann and the family. David was a massive contributor to the Club, and to many other good causes such as the Scouts. He embodied personally the values which any version of the Big Society must embrace to be effective. Things will not happen unless someone takes a grip of them and makes them happen. Very often that someone was David.

For the club he will be remembered for launching the Colts, ably carried on by Bill Taylor, which set the foundation for where we are today, but that was only one of his many contributions. I remember him as a patient and indefatigable team secretary, and a captain from whom I took over after he broke his arm playing. That did not stop him playing a full part in “his team”, which played the best rugby I every experienced at Ealing. Unsurprisingly, as the team consisted of thirteen Kiwis, who shared two flats in Earls Court, David and I. We not only played together on the Saturday but frequently on the Sunday as well, either for the Hansom Cab PH in Earls Court, or, if David was short, for the Old Priorians. David was, as ever, at the centre of this. Our results were spectacular, not least because two of our Antipodean stars had recently played for clubs which went on to become the core of Super 14 sides today.

As team secretary David took some stick for keeping this team together, but his policy was born of the pragmatic view that if they could not play together they would be disinclined to play at all, and rules are made to be broken. At all events, David and I had a most enjoyable season and spent a lot of time together, which was thoroughly enjoyable for he was great company, as he continued to be when I met him at the Club last year. David being David organised an end of season dinner for that team which was particularly memorable because the player of the year who was to receive a presentation at the dinner had been arrested at a tube station on his way to the dinner on account of youthful exuberance following a leaving party at work earlier that evening. He used his one telephone call to ring David. I was then instructed by David to put my legal skills to work on the Custody Sergeant at the Police Station where he was being held. The Custody Sergeant was a rugby man and when he heard the circumstances he agreed that youthful exuberance was not an offence known to the law, and released the player who duly received his award. Impossible to achieve in today’s world of political correctness and form filling but that was rugby then, which tickled David pink. For David it was the thing which made the evening, and he even talked of it when we met last year.

Hail and Farewell, David, well done thou good and faithful servant.

Rhidian Jones

I first meet Dave back in 1980 when he was on a recruitment drive for Ealing colts and thought the best way to do this as he was loitering around the schools gates at St Benedict’s and nab you as you walked out.

Dave obviously had a theory that if you took kids from established playing schools like Gunnersbury and St Bens, sprinkled in some muscle from Ealing Green, Northolt High and Cardinal Wiseman what came out the other end what be quite special which it was for many years. We had fantastic times, tours led by Dave were legendary and every game was an adventure as you never knew who you were playing until you turned up on a Sunday. Dave seem to operate on some twilight zone fixture exchange where one week you would be playing Staines, the next a Borstal or the Army down in Aldershot the next

What Dave did very well was breed loyalty into his charges both to each other and Ealing and large numbers of the Colts moved smoothly through to senior team rugby in the early 80’s bringing some really successful times to Ealing

I have an endearing memory of Dave in his big brown coat sucking on a large lardy dar savouring our win against the Met in the semis of the Middlesex Cup with the look of a man who knew his master plan was working

Vale Dave

Seamus Kerr

Seamus Kerr

I was very sad to read the notice of Dave Inwood’s death.  I had known Dave since I first joined Ealing in 1963. He was the first hooker I propped for when I played for the 1st.XV.

He was a great character, a great servant of the Club, and will be missed by all. Please convey my sincere condolences to his wife and family.

Jim Bird – Club Captain 1968-71

Jim Bird

It is with great sadness that I have to report that David Inwood passed away on Wednesday 16th March.

David who has lived in Spain for a number of years fought a brave battle against cancer over the past few months but even someone with the drive and energy he had would finally succumb.

David joined the club in 1952 and during his long career at Ealing played 1st XV, captained the 2nd XV & 3rd XV and held the offices of Fixture Secretary and Colts Manager. It was as Colts Manager where he oversaw the development of the club’s first Youth rugby programme, one which delivered a huge number of 1st XV players and directly led to the club rising to National League status for the first time in its history. David was honoured 1973 by being made a Vice President of the club.

I know that David was thrilled to return to the club for recent Reunions to meet old friends and many of the Colts he guided in their early rugby careers. He was delighted to be able to contribute a piece to Flair & Fire – The Story of Ealing Rugby, and I know he was excited to receive his copy of the book last Christmas which I am sure helped him recall fond memories of his time at Ealing.

Our thoughts and prayers from all at Ealing are sent to Ann and family during this difficult time.

Les O’Gorman – Hon Secretary

Les O’Gorman