The family of a runner who collapsed and died on Wimbledon Common have paid tribute to their loving father and husband as the club held a one minute’s silence in his memory.

Ian Threadgold, a founding member of the Dons Trust, had been out on his weekly Sunday morning run with wife Caroline and friends when he collapsed last weekend.

November 20: A minute's silence will be held for runner Ian Threadgold who collapsed and died on Wimbledon Common

Mr Threadgold, who lived in Cromwell Road, Wimbledon, with his wife and 16 year-old daughter Laura and 20 year-old son Craig, had been the director of Eastpoint Financial Ltd for almost three years, was a qualified chartered accountant with 30 years of experience.

Mrs Threadgold said: "Ian was very family orientated; everything he did was for the three of us."

He worked on high profile accounts for Government bodies, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Transport for London, and the Metropolitan police.

The couple met at an accounting conference in Chester in 1990 and fell in love a short time later before moving to Granville Road in Wimbledon about 25 years ago.

Wimbledon Times:

Mr Threadgold and his wife Caroline

He was a member of the Wimbledon Windmilers running club and the South Wimbledon Working Men’s Club where he went every week to spend time with friends.

Mr Threadgold, 52, was born in Kettering and supported Kettering Town football club since the age of three. He went to the club’s games once a week with his father Pete Threadgold, never missing a match in the 1970s.

He was a keen AFC Wimbledon fan and was a supporter of the club’s new stadium plan for Plough Lane, Wimbledon. 

Mrs Threadgold thanked the community for their support. The family has received 85 cards and dozens more messages of support and up to 200 are expected at the funeral on Friday. 

She said: "I want to say on behalf of the family a big thank you to all of the Windmilers, especially coaches Dave Bell, Jeff Hoadley and David.

"Ian used to run with them every week - they were fantastic."

Erik Samuelson, chief executive of AFC Wimbledon, said: "Ian was there at the beginning of AFC Wimbledon. Without the founding members of the Dons Trust, we would not be where we are today."

Mrs Threadgold said her husband collapsed on Parkside "completely out of the blue" and a post-mortem had proven inconclusive.