Buxton mourn passing of legendary manager

[FF News]

Buxton's fans and officials are mourning the passing of Colin Whitaker, one of the most successful managers in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League club's history.

A flying winger at Sheffield Wednesday, Bradford Park Avenue, Shrewsbury Town, Queens Park Rangers, Rochdale and Oldham Athletic before moving into Non-League at Ashton, Buxton and Heanor Town and later becoming player manager at Stalybridge Celtic, the father-of-three passed away on May 1 aged 82.

The late Bucks boss first took the helm at Silverlands in December 1970. Pictured back row, top left, with his squad, he made an immediate impact after inheriting a mid-table team and guiding the club to an FA Trophy quarter-final appearance, a feat he emulated the following season.

The 1972-73 campaign proved to be the pinnacle of his success at the club after he secured their one and only championship title in forty years of Cheshire League football and also led them to three cup finals during an epic season of 74 competitive matches.

Whitaker took Buxton into the Northern Premier League in 1973 and after declining approaches from first Altrincham and then Rochdale, left in October 1974 to take the helm at Droyslden. He returned as the successor to Peter Swan in 1978 to spend four more years at the helm until January 1982, taking a rebuilt side from second bottom to a sixth place finish and then fourth the following season.

A Buxton spokesman said: "Long-time Buxton supporters have been saddened to learn of the recent death of one of the club's most successful managers, Colin Whitaker. One of only two men to serve more than one spell at the Silverlands, on each occasion he inherited a mediocre team and transformed it into a unit that brought considerable success despite limited financial resources.

"Colin's strengths as a manager were numerous but obvious to supporters was his player strategy of building success on sound defence; that came first when constructing a team.

"Apart from his soccer accomplishments, Colin was also a cricketer good enough to play minor counties cricket for Shropshire while golf became a primary interest late in life. We send our sincere condolences to Colin's' family and friends, notably his sons Graham and David, both of whom played for Buxton."
  
Source: www.evostikleague.co.uk

 

Source