Colin (CCFC’s & CCFPA’s Oldest Player) Still Going Strong

All CCFC supporters and Association members will be pleased to hear that our oldest surviving  former player (and therefore CCFPA’s oldest member) Colin Collindridge is still going strong in his nineties. CCFPA Membership Secretary Mike Young spoke to both Colin and his wife Glenys a couple of days ago at their home near Newark, Nottinghamshire.

Proud Yorkshireman Colin, who played for the Bantams in the mid fifties, is approaching his 93rd birthday in November and, though a bit frail physically with failing sight, he nevertheless retains a strong feisty personality and sharply remembers his playing days. He formed a formidable left wing partnership with Tommy Capel both with City and Nottingham Forest from whom both were signed in June 1954. Colin’s less than hirsute pate scurrying down the wing beating full backs with speed and guile became a regular sight on Division 3 South grounds after his City debut in August 1954 and he contributed six goals in his 35 appearances for the Bantams before moving on to Bath City in summer 1956 and later managing Notts side Arnold St Mary’s to some success.  

From a coal mining background, Colin had started his professional career with Rotherham United in 1937 but became a Sheffield United legend playing over 230 first team games (including wartime fixtures) and scoring 95 goals for the Blades between 1939-50. Wartime spells with the likes of Chesterfield, Notts County, Lincoln City and Oldham Athletic also kept him busy! 

Mike, who presented Colin with his official Association tie a couple of years back (below), had contacted Colin to put him in touch with an author and journalist Jon Henderson who is preparing a book on the views and experiences of veteran footballers who played in the days of fixed wages and well before the abolition of the maximum wage in 1961. Colin, as always, has a fund of memories and we are sure will provide Jon with plenty of interesting memories!

Mike presenting Colin (left) with his CCFPA tie

We haven’t got a video clip of Colin playing for the ‘Bantams’ (as CCFC was known before Jimmy Hill renamed them the ‘Sky Blues’) but CCFPA Associate Member Dean Nelson has kindly sent us a clip of Colin playing for the Blades in an F.A.Cup tie in 1947. It can be found at http://www.britishpathe.com/video/the-sixth-round/query/Collindridge. Blink and you will miss him but its a fascinating view of the standard of football over 60 years ago -Enjoy!