Remarkable Residents: Ian Wright

Throughout October to celebrate Black History Month the Lewisham Local History Archive Centre will post our chosen 15 truly remarkable residents. People who were born in the borough or lived within its borders.

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6/15: Ian Edward Wright 

Ian Edward Wright, MBE. Born 3 November, 1963, in Woolwich and raised on the Honor Oak Estate in Brockley.

A former professional footballer and television and radio personality - currently a studio pundit for BBC Sport, ITV Sport and BT Sport.

Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal as a forward, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he lifted the Premier League title, both the major domestic cup competitions, and the European Cup Winners Cup. He played 581 league games, scoring 387 goals for seven clubs in Scotland and England, earning 33 caps for the English national team. Wright also played in the Premier League for West Ham United, the Scottish Premier League for Celtic and the Football League for Burnley and Nottingham Forest. As of 2016–17, he is Arsenal's second-highest scorer of all time and Crystal Palace's third-highest.

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Local History and Archives Centre. Email:local.studies@lewisham.gov.uk

Teacher who inspired England footballer Ian Wright has died

Sydney Pigden, teacher at Turnham Junior School on the Honor Oak estate, has died aged 92. Ian Wright who played for Arsenal and England, was one of Mr Pigden’s pupils. He later credited his former teacher as “the first positive male figure” in his life. He dedicated his autobiography A Life in Football to Pigden.

Ian Wright discusses his education with Sydney Pigden on You Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfWNA95aF2M

Sydney Charles Pigden was born at Sydenham on 25 April 1922 to a humble working class family.

Although an able pupil he had to leave school aged only 14 to help out with the family finances. His parents died the next year and he later gained his school certificate by studying at evening classes.

During the war he served in the RAF as a pilot. Mentioned in dispatches, he was demobbed in 1946 as a Flying Officer.

He trained as a teacher at Wandsworth Teacher Training College and then taught at a school in Catford before moving to Turnham.

The Local History and Archives Centre has a longer, hard copy, obituary in the Subject Files which is available on request.