Clive Middlemass, a former Workington Reds stalwart who later managed Carlisle United, died today at the age of 77.
The Sheffield-born Middlemass was a popular figure in the game, whose own career was prematurely ended by a horrific car crash.
Although he attempted a come-back he was quick to realise that the injuries he had sustained were not healed sufficiently for him to return to the same level.
Indeed he was on the verge of a big transfer to Ipswich Town when he was involved in the smash that changed his life.
Reds boss Brian Doyle had told him that negotiations were at an advanced stage with Ipswich and he asked permission to visit his parents in Sheffield to tell them about the pending transfer. It was on the return trip that he was involved in the crash.
He tried to play again eight months later but at the end of that 1968/69 season he retired.
Ken Furphy had signed Clive from Leeds United in 1963 after he had put in a transfer request at Elland Road. He had played in the same youth team as Terry Cooper, Paul Madeley, Eddie Gray, Norman Hunter, Gary Sprake and others, but struggled to make the first team.
Signed as a winger by Furphy he was used as a creative midfield player by Brian Doyle and that effectively kick-started his career. He went on to play 196 League and Cup games for the Reds, scoring seven goals.
He had married a Workington girl and after retirement livid in the town, running a local fish and chip shop for a while.
It was close friend and ex-Leeds team-mate Terry Cooper who got him back into football in 1980 when he asked him to be assistant manager at Bristol Rovers. They had two seasons together there before both moved across the city to take charge of Bristol City for six further seasons.
It was while with City that he had the honour of leading the side out at Wembley in the final of the Autoglass Trophy against Bolton Wanderers.
In 1987 he branched out himself by joining Carlisle United as manager and he was at Brunton Park for three and a half years.
At Brunton Park he took the Blues to the top of the Fourth Division and only missed out on promotion when a series of crippling injuries ruined the team’s chances on the final run-in.
After leaving Carlisle he worked for a number of clubs, notably Burnley, Preston, Derby and Everton as a scout where he continued to meet-up with his many friends in the game.
