In August 2005 following a gap of two years the Ron Murrant Trophy, played in memory of a former loyal and long serving club officer (pictured right) who died in 1984, has been reinstated. After a long period of association with the club Ron was Press Officer and later Chairman The following biographical information was provided by Ron's eldest son David, himself a former committee member who is still a regular supporter :-

Dad started supporting in 1958-59 season. We had moved to Barking from Paddington in early 1958 but Dad was in hospital with tuberculosis until the summer. The first game we watched at the Vicarage Field as against Wimbledon and we won 4-2 if memory serves right in the exciting days of Vic Harrison, Reg Webster, Dicky Leaver, Terry Sproul - a very good team.

My mum Peggy was also a keen fan and brother Barry was an occasional supporter. My sister Glyn married Barking left winger Jackie Edmondson, known as Ringo due to his Beatle-like hairstyle. We lived in a flat in Ripple Road which overlooked the ground and one of my duties on a Sunday morning was to go down to the main gate to check the blackboard displayed there which showed the opponents, date and time of the next match.

Dad, and other committee men including Chairman Eric Land, arranged a lorry to dismantle and haul back to Barking a timber clubhouse which was erected behind the main stand at Vicarage Field. It served well as a bar with social events on a number of evenings especially Saturdays. It proved a useful source of income. I played for Barking in a Sunday team that was ran as an experiment at the Vicarage Field. I also, as a lad, operated one of the turnstiles, sold programmes, later wrote the programme notes as well as preparing reports for the local press including the Barking Advertiser, Ilford Recorder, Stratford Express and Dagenham Post.

Dad gained some notoriety during his press officer days which serves to demonstrate that one should not take literally all that one reads in the newspapers. After Barking's successful elimination of Oxford United in the FA Cup first round we were drawn away to Reading then of the Third Division. We received an unparalleled amount of media attention and the Times (no less) contacted Dad for a comment. He replied "You could say we do not stand a snowball's chance in a furnace - but we beat Oxford so we can be optimistic" The newspaper ran the following storyline the next day " Barking official Ron Murrant says his team has as much chance as a snowball in a furnace." I even heard that quoted on BBC radio and Dad received plenty of criticism from supporters - all of it undeserved. We did lose 1-3 and were really never in the game.

My Dad was a fanatical supporter. He hardly ever missed a game, was always optimistic. Even if two goals behind he usually remarked "this would be a good game to win". I cannot recall him criticising the team. Even in defeat he would emphasise the luck of the opposition, the bias of the officials, the bad luck of the Blues with shots that struck woodwork or were narrowly wide. I think it fair to say he was a little biased. He spent one holiday painting the clubhouse at Mayesbrook Park.

He was at an evening game against East Ham in November 1984 when he was taken ill at the end of the game and died on the way to Oldchurch Hospital aged 61. The club donated the trophy as a mark of respect and appreciation for my Dad who was described by Bill Bridges of the Barking Advertiser as "Mr Barking".

Previous Matches for the Ron Murrant Trophy

17th August 1985 vs. Dagenham Home 0-0
12th August 1986 vs. Dagenham Away 1-2
15th August 1987 vs. Dagenham Home 3-0
26th February 1991 vs. Dartford Home 3-2
15th October 1991 vs. Dagenham Home 1-3
14th August 1993 vs. East Ham United Home 1-3
10th August 1996 vs. Dagenham & Redbridge Home 3-0
9th August 1997 vs. Dagenham & Redbridge Home 0-2
11th August 1998 vs. Dagenham & Redbridge Home 3-2
5th August 2003 vs. Ford United Home 0-3
4th August 2005 vs. Romford Home 5-0
31st July 2010 vs. Thurrock Home 3-1*

*Played for jointly with the Peter Webster memorial trophy