Shawbridge mourns stalwart's passing

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Clitheroe are mourning the loss of their former Secretary Colin Wilson who passed away on Friday morning.

Aged 72, the widower, pictured, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday with a chest infection. The Blues say that prior to his illness the father-of-three had suffered two strokes and a heart attack.

The First Division North club's officials are now planning a minute’s silence before Saturday’s home match with Ossett Albion and again later this month when members of his family are expected to be at the ground as guests of honour for their fixture against Ramsbottom United.

Mr Wilson, who worked as a painter and decorator before retiring, was a familiar face around the North West Non-League scene. Famed for his encyclopaedic knowledge of the Non-League game, in 2013 the Lancashire FA presented the popular and respected administrator with a medal to mark his 40 years of service to football.

Ill health had forced the club stalwart to finally stand down from his post at the Blues in October. During more than four decades with the Lancashire club, he served under a number of Chairmen including Cyril Whiteside, Steve Rush, Charles Murphy and most recently, Chairwoman Anne Barker.

Chris Musson, his successor at Shawbridge, led the club’s tributes as they prepared to mark his passing this weekend. He said: "Colin was enormously proud of the club’s successes and was a tangible link to the club’s Lancashire Combination days in the seventies, through the eighties when Eric Whalley’s side carried all before it, through to the Vase final at Wembley in 1996 and ultimately promotion to the Northern Premier First Division in 2004.

"Colin was a self-effacing man with a strong sense of fair play who simply could not understand the win at all costs mentality. He wanted to see the game played fairly and well. He will be missed by all his friends and acquaintances at Shawbridge and throughout the league. Following on two years after the death of another Clitheroe stalwart, Keith Lord, the club has lost another link with its proud past."

A number of clubs are now expected to mark Mr Wilson's passing and in a message to member clubs announcing Friday's sad news, the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's Operations Manager Alan Allcock paid an early tribute to the late administrator.

He said: "Most of us in the NPL family will have fond memories of Colin on our visits to Clitheroe. I am personally very saddened to hear this news and I am sure all of us who knew Colin wish to send our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues at Clitheroe FC."