Colin Lippiatt

Colin Lippiatt:

To many on here, the man may be superficially no more than a "name" whom we came across during our two years in non league football; but the man who passed away on Friday at the age of 68 from pancreatic cancer was much more than that and well worth recording for everyone's education..................

Quite simply (and I expect Paul Buckle would back me on saying this) he was THE man to phone if you were looking for a player in non league football who could step up into the Football League echelons.

In his last days he was Director of Football for Woking FC and shared a boardroom place with his old management partner Geoff Chapple , and together they had become known as the "Clough & Taylor" of non league football from their days together managing Kingstonian and then Woking.

I was speaking to a youth coach from Kingstonian the other week who told me that Colin Lippiatt's numbered days were sadly coming to an end, yet even then I missed the fact that he had died last Friday until told this morning.

I think I'm correct in saying he also managed at Yeovil Town (well yes, he did for certain) St Albans City and Leatherhead ~ all clubs who would have benefited from his huge knowledge of the game and encyclopedic book of contacts.

There's talk that his funeral will see many old colleagues and friends turn up at his funeral wearing spotless white trainers ~ just like the man was always renowned for wearing ~ that would be a nice touch with which to send him on his way!