End of an Era as Macey Retires

Wimborne Town, who suffered relegation from the Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South, have revealed that John Macey has announced his retirement from coaching.

Now 74, Macey had a long career in the professional game as a goalkeeper and latterly as a coach for a number of clubs locally, before spending his final years at Wimborne.

Having left school at 14, the Bristol-born keeper started his career with hometown club City in 1962.

In his first season at Ashton Gate, Macey was called up for England Schoolboys which saw him play in front of 97,000 at Wembley Stadium.

Chelsea, Arsenal, Ipswich Town and Cardiff City were among his club options, but he elected to join the Robins, where he became one of the first keepers to be named as a substitute.

A loan stint with Shrewsbury Town followed before Macey transferred to Grimsby Town in 1968, where he scored an own goal in his only outfield appearance in the Football League, against arch-rivals Lincoln City.

But it was Macey’s transfer to Newport County in 1970 which proved the start of a love affair with his `home club`, where he really began to enjoy the trappings of the footballer’s lifestyle.

As well as making 194 appearances, Macey opened a sports shop in 1971.

He went on to join Minehead in 1976 and helped them to finish second in the Southern League and took his first step into management with the Somerset club as player-manager over the next three years.

He returned to played for several clubs, a spell punctuated by briefly helping Tony Pulis at Bournemouth.

Macey then went back to Newport as reserve and youth team coach under Colin Addison before one last playing spell at Forest Green Rovers, but injury forced him to hang up his gloves at the age of 43.

He stayed on for a further 18 months as assistant-manager in Stroud prior to his move to the Bournemouth area.

Spells as assistant boss at Christchurch, Wimborne and Bournemouth Poppies came full circle when he linked up with Graham Kemp back at Christchurch, where his focus on youth development guided many into the professional ranks, including Luton Town`s Harry Cornick.

That established relationship saw Macey switch to Hamworthy United with Kemp midway through the 2013/14 season.

More recently he has been helping the Wimborne goalkeepers and said after his announcement: “I’ll be 75 this year and have given 60 years of that to football. I’ve met some really wonderful people from Prime Ministers, top international footballers, international cricketers and rugby players, plus all the lads I’ve played with at grassroots level, we’re all the same.

“I love the sport, but Wimborne Town has been my extended family. Through the ups and downs that you get that in football, I’ve loved all of it. I would like to thank everyone”.

Wimborne Town Web Site