Jeremy Lyon, Teme 1949-1954 (December 2019)

Jeremy Lyon

Lancing has produced a number of exceptional sportsmen over the last 75 years but one man who will be right up there with the greats is Jeremy Lyon.

Without doubt it was generally acknowledged that Lancing had the most demanding squash courts of any school with concrete floors which prompted the comment ‘if you can play and win on the Lancing courts you could win anywhere’ and perhaps for that reason alone the College became totally pre-eminent at that time in the sport.

Jeremy first showed his superb skill by winning the Drysdale Cup (The National Junior U19 Squash Championship) in 1952 and then played for the Lancing Old Boys in the Londonderry Cup (Public Schools Old Boys Competition) for the winning team for twelve years.  At Magdalene College, Cambridge he switched from chemistry to agriculture so he could play more sport.  He captained the Cambridge team, which was probably one of the strongest ever, sweeping away all before them.  At the same time Jeremy was beginning his Great Britain and England career from 1957 to 1968 where he was Captain from 1960 onwards.  Jeremy became world over 60s squash champion and was also British over 45s, over 55s, over 60s and over 65s champion.

Not content with squash Jeremy went on to play lawn tennis for Great Britain in his 60s.  He was a member of the exclusive All England Tennis Club (Wimbledon).  He then, to cap it all, revived his real tennis career gained at Cambridge to again play for his country in New York in the World Master Real Tennis Championships between Great Britain, Australia and America. He was then playing for the over 70s.

There can be few men who can proudly say that over a sporting lifetime that they have represented their country in three different sports over a period of 50 years but that was Jeremy, the great competitor at racket sports.

After Lancing Jeremy did two years National Service in the Dragoon Guards, then, having inherited a farm on the Essex/Suffolk borders in Constable country, Jeremy realised that he needed to boost his income to educate three daughters and so joined one of the City of London’s most prestigious Stockbrokers James Capel (eventually sold to HSBC at Big Bang for £104 million) rising to become a key figure in their Institutional Sales Team servicing the likes of the Kuwaiti Investment Office. However he still managed to play squash most days he was in the office.

Whether on a court, in the office or down on the farm, Jeremy had impeccable manners and good humour in the great Lancing tradition. He was a gentleman and a gentle man.

A true Corinthian and a Sporting Cantab of whom we can all be truly proud.  He will be missed but his spirit and unique sporting achievements will live on in our memories.

David Brazier (Head’s 1955-1960)