by Sean Whetstone
I wanted to pen my own tribute to my good friend Hughie after his sad passing on Saturday.
Hugh or Hughie as he liked to be known to his friends was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent on 3 May 1944
He attended Huntleys School for Boys and in his own words had an unremarkable education, but he knew he was determined to become a journalist.
Hughie started his journalistic career on the Peterborough Evening Telegraph as a news reporter later becoming assistant sports editor and Peterborough United correspondent within two years where he became a friend of and a regular ghostwriter for manager and former Manchester United and West Ham player Noel Cantwell.
Southon became a Fleet Street national journalist after working as a freelance reporter/sub-editor on virtually every top news title over many decades. He had been a sports news contributor/match reporter for The Sun, Daily Express, Star, Sunday Mirror, News of the World, Sunday, Daily Sport, and the Guardian. On the Sunday Sport newspaper owned by David Sullivan, he became the ghostwriter for the late great Bobby Moore for three years.
In 2013 he founded this West Ham news site Claret and Hugh which I later joined a year later in 2014 as his associate editor. Despite suffering from COPD and Asthma for many years he was writing up until the end penning his last article last Tuesday about James Ward Prowse before he passed away on Saturday 23rd March weeks before his 80th Birthday.
He was great friends with David Gold and David Sullivan and had great contacts over all the football and journo industry.
After messaging David Sullivan on Saturday within the sad news he responded, “Very sad, he’ll be missed by us all”.
Just weeks before his passing he commissioned the painting above from our mutual friend Canning Town Len.
Rest in peace Hughie, you will be missed by so many, and it was a privilege to know you and learn from you.
Thoughts are with his family and friends especially his daughters Katie and Michelle and grandchildren Josh and Kaityn.
Thank you, Sean, for a very fine obituary. I’m sure it will help many of Hughie’s followers here on Claret And Hugh to better understand his background. You have done the man proud!
RIP Hughie.⚒️
Hughie was a true Hammer. I started following this blog while based in London, continued during my time in Singapore and now back in the US. Like the Hammers, I followed Hugh over land and sea.
RIP buddy.