Jim's column 27.4.2019

Colin Collindridge (15.11.1920- 14.4.2019)

Former Coventry City winger Colin Collindridge sadly passed away two weeks ago, aged 98. By the time he arrived at Coventry in 1954 he was somewhat of a veteran and played only 35 games for the Bantams. Sadly City's oldest former player and CCFPA's oldest member didn't quite manage the century.

Colin was born into a Barnsley mining family in 1920 and, as with a number of other players of the time, professional football provided a route out of the pits. After being spotted playing for local side Wombwell Athletic and signing briefly for Rotherham United in 1937 Colin made the significant step up to the big time with Sheffield United signing him in January 1939 months before the outbreak of World War Two. Colin couldn't break into the first team in that last season before the hostilities as the Blades won promotion to Division One, pipping Coventry to the post.

A pacey and direct forward (mainly at outside left but sometimes as centre forward) Colin became a Bramall Lane regular in the first two seasons of unofficial wartime football before joining the war effort in the RAF. He had the unenviable and dangerous job of loading ammunitions on Wellington bombers around the country and his forthright and uncompromising views to the top brass he claimed prevented his progression through the ranks! During the war as he moved around the country he was also able to appear as a guest for the likes of Chesterfield, Notts County, Lincoln City and Oldham Athletic. 

In 1945 the Blades took up where they had left off in 1939, winning the Football League North (in an intermediate season before league football recommenced in 1946). Colin, playing centre-forward, notched 12 goals in 19 league games and four FA Cup goals including a hat-trick against Stoke in front of a capacity 50,000 crowd at Bramall Lane.
Colin was a regular in the Blades side over the first four post-war seasons and top scorer in the first three, playing over 150 first team games and scoring 58 goals before being transferred to Nottingham Forest in August 1950. Colin was idolised at Bramall Lane (and that is probably where his footballing heart really lay).

When Colin joined Forest they were in the old Division Three South and in his first season his 16 goals and many assists helped them to promotion to Division Two and made him a favourite at the City Ground. In four seasons he made 156 first team appearances, scoring 47 goals and forged an effective left wing partnership with Tommy Capel as Forest came close to promotion to Division One. 

In June 1954 Coventry manager Jack Fairbrother signed the pair for Coventry City, allegedly for a £20,000 fee despite both being well into their thirties. The pair made their debut in a 1-0 home win over Bournemouth in front of 19,000. Things started well as 'the team that Jack built' won six of their first seven games with the left-wing pair in starring roles but then star centre-forward Eddie Brown was sold to Birmingham and the wheels fell off, Fairbrother resigned, Colin got injured and City slid down the table. He returned from his injury after Christmas and made 24 appearances scoring three goals in a Bantams side that finished ninth in Division Three South.

Jesse Carver took over as manager in the summer of 1955 and the 34-year-old Collindridge struggled to get a place playing 11 games, scoring three goals. His final game for the Bantams was a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace in March 1956 and in July of that year he joined Southern League Bath City. Later he gained management experience with Arnold St Mary’s in Nottingham from 1959 in a successful period for that club.

In retirement Colin lived with his wife in Newark near Nottingham and was visited by CCFPA committee member Mike Young who found him 'sprightly, engaging, sociable and forthright in his advancing years'. Often difficult to ‘get a word in edgeways’ when Colin reminisced about his long life and playing career before memory lapses took a hold he would hold forth on City personalities of his day such as Tommy Capel, Martin McDonnell, Iain Jamieson, Jack Fairbrother, Noel Simpson and Charlie Elliott. Sadly his physical limitations meant he was never able to attend a game at the Ricoh.

Colin Collindridge's debut for Coventry v Bournemouth 21-08-1954 (Colin is far right in front row)

In recent times Colin has been a well loved resident of a Nottinghamshire Care Home where his fragile health was nursed until his death and we include a photo off him earlier this year sent to us by his good friend and former neighbour John Marum who has kept CCFPA in touch with Colin’s progress recently. 

Colin will be deeply missed, a genuine one-off with an ebullient personality from a very different era in football’s history. RIP Colin!

Colin's funeral will take place on Friday 10th May, 2:20pm at Wilford Hill Crematorium, Loughborough Road, Nottingham, NG2 7FE. Many thanks to Mike Young for his assistance in this tribute.