Portsmouth mourning death of former defender Cyril Rutter

Pompey are mourning the death of Cyril Rutter, who has sadly passed away at the age of 87.
Pompey are mourning the death of former defender Cyril Rutter.Pompey are mourning the death of former defender Cyril Rutter.
Pompey are mourning the death of former defender Cyril Rutter.

The defender made 185 appearances during his 10 years at Fratton Park.

He was picked up by the Blues while serving his apprenticeship at the dockyard. The highlight of Rutter’s Pompey career was no doubt helping the club lift the Division Three title in 1962, having featured 36 times during that season.

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Below his daughter, Kate, has put together a eulogy to celebrate her dad’s life.

Cyril Rutter in action for Pompey.Cyril Rutter in action for Pompey.
Cyril Rutter in action for Pompey.

Cyril Hutton Rutter - A celebration of life (1933-2020)

‘For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, he writes not that you won or lost, but how you played the game!’ – Grantland Rice

The One Great Scorer would tally that Cyril Rutter played the game well - he played with passion and with stamina.

His physical fitness as an ex-professional footballer - who made 185 appearances for Pompey Football Club over more than 10 years – only failed him at the last on August 22, 2020 at home in his brave fight with cancer.

Cyril Rutter was also a talented cricketer.Cyril Rutter was also a talented cricketer.
Cyril Rutter was also a talented cricketer.
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As we look through old photos of Cyril’s life, we see a man that not only loved - and was incredibly accomplished at - so many sports, but an optimist that loved life, loved being with people, loved and revelled in the company of others.

A lucky and a generous man, a man who was always welcoming, who was funny, and was foolish – who was widely known and liked in Portsmouth.

The only child of Alfred and Norah Rutter, born in Leeds, Cyril moved to Portsmouth as a school boy in 1946. As a post-war pupil at St.Luke’s, we find Cyril beaming out from the photo of the champion diving team of 1947, hotly followed by successful membership of the athletics, cricket and, of course, football teams.

A dashing City of Portsmouth and Hampshire County cricketer by the age of 16, Cy was also a member of the Boys Brigade Soccer Team and England Under 21 National Football Team that toured Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Germany in 1951.

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Scouted by Pompey the same year during his Dockyard apprenticeship as an engine-fitter, Cy was released from his national service to train with the club, as well as playing football for the Army.

By the mid-1950s, he was a publicly-recognised stalwart of the Pompey defence.

A tough centre-half and right-back, Cyril never gave less than 100 per cent in his performances for Pompey between 1953-1963. He played in all three top divisions during his time at Fratton Park and earned a winners’ medal in 1962 when Pompey won the Division Three title.

In the early 1960s, he was lured away from Pompey to become director of soccer coaching for the US Armed Forces based in Stuttgart, Germany.

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On his return to the UK, Cyril took over as player/manager of Salisbury City before establishing a popular restaurant and Sporting Man’s Club on Hayling Island with former Pompey team-mate, Peter Harris.

Father of two daughters and husband to Joan - a post-school sweetheart who he married in 1955 - Cyril continued to play for the ex-Professional XI well into the 1970s, when the hospitality industry lost him to the Sport of Kings. Cy took over the management of two betting shops, one on Hayling and the other in North End.

Turf accounting, however, was not for him and Cy's professional life took a completely new direction in 1978 when he started work as a milkman for the Co-op. The customers on his North End round recounted tales of how he mastered the art of riding his pull-along milk float and regaled him with chorus’ of ‘Nice One Cyril’ which he always took in good faith.

He retired – with a disability – following an unsuccessful operation to relieve the long-standing cartilage injury in his left knee. Cyril’s five grandchildren took for granted his approach of descending flights of stairs backwards to ease the pain and pick up the pace.

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In retirement, Joan joined him on the golf course and the bowls circuit where they both showed great sporting prowess as regulars at both Milton and Victory bowling clubs into their 80s.

Cy remained competitive until 2018 when his Alzheimer’s (as diagnosed in 2003 as with many of his football peers) unfortunately gave way to cancer.

The medical profession gave Cyril six months; they were sceptical that his Alzheimer’s would allow him to undergo the necessary treatment for his cancer. Eighteen months later on his 87th birthday in February 2020 - with an almost unprecedented two courses of radiotherapy under his belt, Cy aspired to reach 90.

It was a final challenge he was to lose – but no-one can dispute that he put heart & soul into everything he did. He played the game well and will be greatly missed.

Rutter’s funeral took place today (September 1). Anyone wishing to pay tribute can do so by making a donation to Cancer Research UK by clicking here.