Garry Purdham
Encyclopedia
Garry John Purdham was an English professional rugby league
player and farmer. He was killed in the 2010 Cumbria shootings
.
. There he played alongside his brother Rob Purdham
.
In 2005 Purdham transferred to the nearby club Workington Town
. He struggled with a recurring knee injury at Workington and ultimately required four operations in six years.
Purdham retired from professional rugby league after the 2008 season; however, he returned in 2009 to play amateur rugby league for Egremont Rangers.
when he was shot and killed. He became the ninth murder victim of spree killer
Derrick Bird, who killed 12 people and injured 11 others that day before committing suicide. It was claimed by Purdham's neighbours that he was aware of Bird's rampage from radio broadcasts and recognised Bird's vehicle as it passed. It is alleged that Purdham was attempting to subdue Bird with a fence post when he was shot and killed.
In honour of Purdham and the other Cumbria victims, one minute's silence was observed before every rugby league match played in England on the weekend of 5–6 June 2010.
The Workington club has announced that a memorial in honour of Purdham will be established. His funeral and cremation were held on 10 June 2010, attended by over 600 mourners.
, a player with Harlequins Rugby League, who has played for England
five times.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player and farmer. He was killed in the 2010 Cumbria shootings
Cumbria shootings
The Cumbria shootings was a killing spree that occurred on 2 June 2010 when a lone gunman, Derrick Bird, killed 12 people and injured 11 others before killing himself in Cumbria, England....
.
Career
Purdham began his professional rugby league career in 1999 with WhitehavenWhitehaven RLFC
Whitehaven RLFC is a rugby league club playing in Whitehaven in West Cumbria. They play in Co-operative Championship. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground...
. There he played alongside his brother Rob Purdham
Rob Purdham
Rob Purdham is a retired English professional rugby league footballer. An England international representative loose forward, he previously played for Whitehaven and Harlequins. Purdham can also operate as a stand-off, as a centre or in the second row. He has even played international football at...
.
In 2005 Purdham transferred to the nearby club Workington Town
Workington Town
Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team....
. He struggled with a recurring knee injury at Workington and ultimately required four operations in six years.
Purdham retired from professional rugby league after the 2008 season; however, he returned in 2009 to play amateur rugby league for Egremont Rangers.
Death
On 2 June 2010, Purdham was working with his uncle mending a wire fence on his father's farm near the Red Admiral Hotel at Boonwood, near GosforthGosforth, Cumbria
Gosforth is a village and civil parish in the Lake District, in the Borough of Copeland in Cumbria, England. It is situated on the A595 road between Whitehaven and Barrow-in-Furness. It has a population of 1,230....
when he was shot and killed. He became the ninth murder victim of spree killer
Spree killer
A spree killer is someone who embarks on a murderous assault on two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders."-Definition:According to the...
Derrick Bird, who killed 12 people and injured 11 others that day before committing suicide. It was claimed by Purdham's neighbours that he was aware of Bird's rampage from radio broadcasts and recognised Bird's vehicle as it passed. It is alleged that Purdham was attempting to subdue Bird with a fence post when he was shot and killed.
In honour of Purdham and the other Cumbria victims, one minute's silence was observed before every rugby league match played in England on the weekend of 5–6 June 2010.
The Workington club has announced that a memorial in honour of Purdham will be established. His funeral and cremation were held on 10 June 2010, attended by over 600 mourners.
Family
Garry Purdham had a wife and two young children. He was the brother of RobRob Purdham
Rob Purdham is a retired English professional rugby league footballer. An England international representative loose forward, he previously played for Whitehaven and Harlequins. Purdham can also operate as a stand-off, as a centre or in the second row. He has even played international football at...
, a player with Harlequins Rugby League, who has played for England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
five times.