Francis Ponder

Francis Ponder was born in 1944, the third of four brothers, in his grandparents’ tiny cottage in the Essex village of Tolleshunt D'Arcy. Francis attended Maldon Secondary School (today's Lower Plume School) at the age of eleven, moving to the newly built Tiptree County Secondary School (now Thurstable School) two years later.
Following redundancy, Francis joined the Colchester Evening Gazette in 1981, becoming the newspaper's county cricket correspondent, going on to enjoy a long career as a football reporter, commenting on the highs and lows of Colchester United. During his twenty-eight years with the paper, Francis witnessed three Wembley finals, two promotions and two relegations at the club.
A keen sportsman, Francis played Saturday football until the ripe old age of thirty-seven, despite suffering a severe cruciate ligament injury in his late twenties, representing several local clubs over the years. He also played cricket as a wicket-keeper/batsman for Tollesbury until well into his forties.
Francis has two grown up children, Jamie and Marie, and lives with his partner Joanna Wright, and their dog, Finley, in Tolleshunt D'Arcy.