SUFFOLK FA Life Member Brian Tatum has passed away at the age of 81 after a long illness.

Brian, a retired civil servant, was a long-serving official of AFC Sudbury and also Chair of the Essex & Suffolk Border League.

It was back in 1958 that Brian and a group of friends formed Sudbury Wanderers, who went on to merge with Sudbury Town and form AFC Sudbury in 1999.

Brian, who lived in Sudbury, continued in his role as treasurer within the new club, who dominated the Eastern Counties League and also reached three FA Vase Finals between 2003 and 2005.

The main stand at AFC Sudbury’s MEL Group Stadium (pictured above) is named The Brian Tatum Stand in his honour. Photograph: Steve Screech

A minute’s silence will be held as a mark of respect at all Suffolk FA county cup fixtures this weekend and also at the Blue Square Solutions Suffolk Boys’ U18 Midweek Cup Final in which AFC Sudbury face Leiston at Needham Market FC next Thursday, May 27th.