Heard that John has sadly passed away tonight. He has been ill for a while.
A very good utility player who could play left back one week and striker the next and score!! Great memories for me when I was a nipper
RIP, a great servant to OUFC
Sad, sad, sad. I watched him all through his career at Headington and Oxford. Solid left back who was once converted to a forward and scored enough goals to stop us from being relegated. The consummate professional.
Yes a great clubman. Great contribution wherever he played.
Lodged with our local butcher, Harold Kimber who was a director at The club at the time. Farewell Shukes big part of our past gone but not forgotten
Another rock in defence and a fine captain. One of the team that defined my earliest ventures into football. RIP.
Sadly John was too ill to attend the 1893 club recently but wanted to come back when well enough.
Very sad to hear this. Shuker, Lucas, Roberts and Clarke were the back four when I first started watching Oxford and John was as dependable as they come. He was one of those players you sensed was a nice bloke off the pitch too and living locally and having met him a few times he was definitely that.
It’s been a sad few weeks for Oxford United in terms of losing a couple of genuine club legends but how fitting that the club is flying high at the time of their passing.
So many of the old guard no longer with us. Tony Jones, Maurice Kyle, Graham Atkinson, Cyril Beavon, Harry Fearnley, Nigel Cassidy and more, I am sure. Used to think they would go on forever. The bedrock of the great club we have today.
Such sad news. He arguably served the best period in our history. From joining the league in 1962 through to playing against the likes of Bobby Moore, Kevin Keegan, Bobby Charlton & George Best in the early 1970's. RIP John Shuker - a true servant to our club.
One of those players who seemed to be a fixture when I started watching OUFC in the sixties. Very versatile, rarely injured, and very dependable, which is why he made so many appearances over a lengthy period.
RIP Shukes another legend taken too soon. Jim will be waiting for you in the Supporters Club Bar in the sky.
Very sad news
John played when I first started going up the Manor he was a good solid defender and could play anywhere on the pitch, saw him score quite a few as striker. A real utility player the likes of which you don’t see very often in today’s football.
I think I saw Shuke's play in just about every outfield position for the U's, back then he wouldve been referred to as a utility player, one of a handful of real legends of OUFC. R.I.P.
I saw Shukes play in the very early 60s and then throughout his career. Left back and as been said converted to a striker to keep us up by scoring about 8/9 goals in maybe 12 games. Skippered the side after the Tank. A vague memory he was sent off with 2 others at Blackpool. Very odd as he was rarely in trouble with refs. A great servant RIP.