After a lengthy struggle against blood cancer, Tony sadly passed away in Dorothy House on Friday 30th January at the age of 76. Our thoughts and condolences are with his wife Jan and the boys Adrian, Daniel and Christopher, together with the wider Mutlow and Gapper families.

Tony has been actively involved with Avon for almost 60 years. He began playing in the late 1960s as a prop forward and soon became an almost indestructible part of a formidable front row throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s.

As well as his performances on the pitch, Tony also excelled with his off-field activities. He first won the Clubman of the Year award in 1978, a feat he achieved 4 times in total. He was honoured as a Life Member in 2001 and was also awarded the Special Services trophy in 2008.

Tony became our President in 2010 and has fulfilled that role with distinction for the past 16 years. In some clubs, the role of President is simply a figurehead. For Tony (and thankfully for Avon), he was so much more than that in the hands-on work he carried out.

To briefly summarise just some of his contributions towards the successful operation of the Club, Tony has been involved in:

• Maintaining the grounds - mowing the pitches and surrounds, repairing worn areas, seeding, sanding, top soiling, clearing undergrowth, strimming edges
• Arranging bar orders and taking deliveries, cleaning the pipes & pumps, banking the till cash & arranging floats, taking clubhouse bookings, arranging bar staff, setting up events and clearing away afterwards
• Cleaning the clubhouse, bar area, kitchen and changing rooms
• Buying the food required for after match meals for home and away players, helping to cook and clear away afterwards
• Painting and decorating the clubhouse and carrying out general maintenance internally and externally on the buildings
• Liaising with suppliers, contractors, 3rd parties for the day-to-day operation of the club
• Then on Saturdays, until his illness prevented it, Tony watched the teams play to support the players from the touchline – and to offer words of wisdom in the clubhouse afterwards!

By maintaining our facilities both on and off the field, Tony’s efforts behind the scenes have helped Avon to become a thriving amateur club in the Bath area and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude. His voluntary efforts were recognised more widely in 2022 when he was presented with a Volunteer of the Year certificate at an RFU ceremony which he was hugely proud to receive.

Earlier this year, Avon decided to name the hub of their clubhouse as “The Tony Mutlow Bar” in his honour. Tony was delighted to see the plaque before it was erected on the front of the bar. Then only last week, he was proud to hear that around 20 of the squad got together to donate blood to the NHS in recognition of all the blood transfusions he had received over the past few months.

His absence leaves a huge hole at Avon and, of course, with his family and friends. We will always miss him and always remember him.

RIP and thank you, Tony, from everyone at Avon RFC.