Stewart Willingham who served as club secretary at Thackley for 32 years and was one of the many who knew and loved Emily, writes:

I can't be precise about when Emily joined us, but I think it was around the late 1980's. At the time she was a member of the Management Board of the Wharfedale Sunday League, who, at that time, held their end of season Cup Finals at Thackley. Emily, unsurprisingly, was running the Raffles - and making a very large amount of money!

At the end of the last Final, I asked her if she would be interested in joining us at Thackley the following season, to run our Raffles. She snapped our hands off and the rest is history! As we all know, she will be remembered forever for her catch phrase of "It's yer money I'm after, not yer body". It seemed to work very well!! Incidentally, I believe this to be the first recorded instance of a Raffle ticket seller being head-hunted!

What is little known is that in her long career in football in the Sunday League, Emily operated as a Club secretary for many years. She was also Treasurer and general factotum at various times. Indeed, I recall her telling me once that, for a period of a few weeks, she acted as Team Manager for her Club when the Manager was in hospital!

In no time Emily became a well-loved person at Thackley and soon became well known throughout the League. Indeed, since Emily became ill, there have been very few first team home matches at Thackley, where someone from the visitors hasn't asked how she was going on.

Current club secretary Mick Lodge adds:

In the days following Emily's death we received many tributes from the NCEL Management, from other clubs and indeed from referees who were not spared from Emily's fundraising efforts (or her observations about their performances!). All of them mention what a character Emily was and how she will be greatly missed not just by Thackley but by all who knew her. Perhaps this is best summed up by NCEL League chairman David Morrall who said

"We have all lost a true character and a lady and, sadly, life and Thackley will be poorer for her death."

Thackley AFC, its players and officials, all send their heartfelt condolences to Emily's family and friends at this sad time