Garry Purdham Explained
Garry Purdham |
Fullname: | Garry John Purdham |
Birth Date: | 20 October 1978 |
Birth Place: | Whitehaven, Cumbria, England |
Death Place: | Gosforth, Cumbria, England |
Club1: | Whitehaven |
Year1start: | 1999 |
Year1end: | 05 |
Appearances1: | 127 |
Tries1: | 17 |
Goals1: | 0 |
Fieldgoals1: | 0 |
Points1: | 68 |
Club2: | Workington Town |
Year2start: | 2005 |
Year2end: | 08 |
Appearances2: | 58 |
Tries2: | 5 |
Goals2: | 0 |
Fieldgoals2: | 1 |
Points2: | 21 |
Source: | [1] |
Garry John Purdham (20 October 1978 – 2 June 2010) was an English professional rugby league player[2] and farmer. He was killed in the 2010 Cumbria shootings.
Career
Purdham began his professional rugby league career in 1999 with Whitehaven.[3] There he played alongside his brother Rob Purdham.
In 2005 Purdham transferred to the nearby club Workington Town.[4] He struggled with a recurring knee injury at Workington[5] and ultimately required four operations in six years.[6]
Purdham retired from professional rugby league after the 2008 season;[3] however, he returned in 2009 to play amateur rugby league for Egremont Rangers.[7]
Death
See main article: Cumbria shootings. On 2 June 2010, Purdham was working with his uncle mending a wire fence on his father's farm near the Red Admiral Hotel at Boonwood, near Gosforth when he was shot and killed.[8] [9] He became the ninth murder victim of spree killer Derrick Bird, who killed 12 people and injured 11 others that day before committing suicide.[10]
In honour of Purdham and the other Cumbria victims, one minute's silence was observed before every rugby league match played in England on the weekend of 5–6 June 2010.[11]
The Workington club has announced that a memorial in honour of Purdham will be established.[12] His funeral and cremation were held on 10 June 2010, attended by over 600 mourners.[13]
Family
Purdham is survived by a wife and two children. He was the brother of Rob Purdham, a former player with Harlequins RL[14] who played for England five times.[15]
External links
Obituaries
Notes and References
- http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/gary-purdham/summary.html Rugby League Project
- News: Rugby star Philip speaks of gun horror . Edinburgh Evening News . UK . Johnston Press Digital Publishing . 2010-06-05 . 2010-06-06.
- News: Tributes are paid to ex-Workington player Garry Purdham. 3 June 2010. news.bbc.co.uk. 4 June 2010.
- News: Featherstone fear Dragons' backlash. Ledger. John. 25 June 2005. Yorkshire Post. 4 June 2010.
- News: Purdham on course for comeback . Morgan . Martin . 5 June 2008 . timesandstar.co.uk . 4 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120401223753/http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/1.118779 . 1 April 2012 .
- News: Workington's Garry Purdham to play on for one more season . Morgan . Martin . 6 November 2008 . newsandstar.co.uk . 4 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120307140556/http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/town/1.265898 . 7 March 2012 .
- News: Egremont give new coach Roper perfect start against Crosfields. https://archive.today/20130505130544/http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/egremont_give_new_coach_roper_perfect_start_against_crosfields_1_611484?referrerPath=home. 5 May 2013. 14 September 2009. whitehaven-news.co.uk. 4 June 2010.
- News: Cumbria shootings: The victims named. https://archive.today/20130505143606/http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/cumbria-shootings-the-victims-named-1.715720?referrerPath=cumbrian-gunman-derrick-bird-killed-12-and-injured-25-in-shooting-1.715529. 2013-05-05. The Whitehaven News. CN Group. 2010-06-04. 2011-01-16 .
- News: Bitter family row over will was trigger that sparked killing rage. Bingham. John. Gardham, Duncan. Evans, Martin. 3 June 2010. independent.ie. 5 June 2010.
- News: Gunman Kills Several in Cumbria: Timeline. BBC News. 3 March 2023. 2 June 2010.
- Web site: Game-wide minute's silence . 3 June 2010 . therfl.co.uk . 4 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120405101815/http://www.therfl.co.uk/~therflc/championship/news_item.php?id=17934 . 5 April 2012 .
- News: Workington plan memorial for Garry Purdham. 3 June 2010. guardian.co.uk. 4 June 2010. London.
- News: Funeral for Cumbria shooting victim Garry Purdham. 10 June 2010. bbc.co.uk. 10 June 2010.
- Web site: Rob Purdham on compassionate leave . 3 June 2010 . superleague.co.uk . 4 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120902045447/http://www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=17927 . 2 September 2012 .
- News: Derrick Bird's brother was the first victim before random spree in Cumbria. The Times. 2 June 2010. 3 June 2010. London. Matthew. Taylor.