We are sad to announce that former Corinthian-Casuals Schools' XI player Les Burgess has died aged 81.

He began playing for the Schools' XI in the late 1990s and appeared intermittently for about seven seasons. He went on two 'Veterans' tours  - to China in 2002 and to South Africa. The trip to Shanghai, China, was memorable for the fact that Les lost his passport en route to Heathrow and the ensuing drama meant that he only arrived two days after the rest of the party!

Before playing for C-C, Les had captained Chesham United in the F.A. Amateur Cup Final in April 1968 against Leytonstone. He played at centre-half in front of 52,000 spectators at Wembley and, although losing 0-1 in the final, he was the dynamo behind Chesham's successful season. He was described at the time at the best pivot in the Athenian League. Chesham has the rare distinction of reaching the final having had to play through from the preliminary round. 

Beginning his footballing career as a junior at Watford, Les gained Hertfordshire County honours, then moved to Queen's Park Rangers, Finchley, then Chesham. For many years he was employed as a public relations officer in the admiralty.

Leslie Reginald Frederick Burgess was born at Hendon in 1939; he died unexpectedly but peacefully, aged 81, in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, on 12th August, 2021. 

Corinthian-Casuals are sad to learn of the death of Colin Coldspring – a former player who notched up 161 appearances with the club in the early 1980s. Our sincerest condolences are extended to his family and friends.

For three seasons between 1981 and 1984, Colin Coldspring was virtually ever present in the club’s 1st team. A tall, powerful, central defender, Colin was signed by manager Billy Smith from Sunday football - where he played for Croydon Municipal Offices FC - in the 1981 close season. He made his debut on 15th Aug 1981 against Letchworth Garden City (away) in the Isthmian League and that he didn’t miss a first team match that season. He was rewarded by being voted Club ‘Player of the Year’. 1982/83 was the Club’s centenary season and Colin made 51 appearances and scored 3 goals. He took part in the Sheriff of London Shield match against Watford at Vicarage Road in March 1983.

His last season - 1983/84 - was momentous in several ways: in July the Club arranged to play Queen’s Park (Glasgow) and the players paid their own expenses to get to the game, played at the historic Hampden Park ground. Then followed a successful F.A. Cup run that took Corinthian-Casuals to the 1st round proper - only the second occasion on which that stage has been reached (previously 1965). Colin played in the 0-0 draw against Bristol City at Dulwich Hamlet; the South London Press reported that “The crowd of 2216 who turned up to see a giant-killing act, were also treated to a lion hearted display from central defender Colin Coldspring, who battled on with a head injury which needed four stitches.” He recovered to line up for the replay at Ashton Gate, which Bristol City won 4-0. In that season he played in 61 1st team games, scoring 4 times.
​
His team-mates were also very complimentary of him. Alan Pardew, former FA Cup finalist with Palace and later Premier League Manager said " Colin Coldspring was my enforcer in that team. I was very, very skinny – my body didn’t really come until I was 22 or 23. I was just filling out a little bit when I got to Casuals, but if anyone kicked me or got near me, because I was a bit flirty around it, thought I was a bit of an Eric Cantona-type – well, he would go and smash them, or make it very clear to them to leave me alone." Pardew described them as 'great friends' long after their Casuals days together.
​
His Corinthian-Casuals career record is 161 appearances with 7 goals. He was employed as a technical officer with British Telecom. Colin went onto play for Dulwich Hamlet and become part of the management team with Coney Hall FC in the early 2000s, winning the Combined Counties League Division One with the club.

It is with great sadness that we learned of the recent passing of two former Corinthian-Casuals players - Mike Greenwood (pictured) and Pat Vaughan.

Mike Greenwood

The death has occurred at the end of April 2021 of Mike Greenwood, the former England and Great Britain Amateur International. He was aged 86.

 Most of Mike’s football was played for Bishop Auckland between 1959 and 1962 but he joined the Corinthian-Casuals in March 1961 for a short period. 

Born on 9th April 1935, Michael Greenwood attended Loughborough College and captained their soccer eleven as well as the U.A.U side. In March 1958, whilst at Loughborough, he appeared in an England Amateur trial match playing right-half against Crystal Palace and in September 1958, he played for the British Universities v South African Universities at Reading FC. One week later, he captained the Northern Counties against Southern Counties in an Amateur International Trial at Ilford FC (Brian Wakefield, then of Northern Nomads, was the Northern Counties’ goalkeeper). 

Greenwood made his England debut seven days later against Finland at Dulwich Hamlet, being reported as ,”this strong, fearless and hardworking wing-half... made a fine debut.” In all he was capped seven times for England. 

Having played in a number of GB Olympic Trial matches throughout the 1959-1960 season he was chosen for the GB team at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. In June 1960, prior to the Games, he went on tour to the Caribbean with the Middlesex Wanderers.

He completed his PE course at Loughborough in 1958 and commenced his teaching career in the West Riding of Yorkshire. He worked for the Sports Council in West Yorkshire and also worked at Lilleshall for the National Sports Council. 

His brief career with the Corinthian-Casuals began when he appeared for the Reserves against Ilford Reserves on the 18th March 1961 at the Hawker Sports Ground in Kingston; his only First team match for the Corinthian-Casuals was in the Isthmian League, away at Walthamstow Avenue on the 15th April 1961. On the 29th April 1961, as a Corinthian-Casuals player, he was a reserve for England in their Amateur International against France at Dulwich Hamlet. 

During the 1961 closed season he toured the Far East and New Zealand with a combined FA amateur - professional side with Tom Finney as the player-manager. The Corinthian-Casuals newsletter of 28th July 1961 announced, “It is regretted that Mike Greenwood finds that the long journey from Sheffield each Saturday conflicts with his duties at school and he has reluctantly decided that he cannot join us this season.”


P.H. Vaughan

Corinthian-Casuals first-team player Pat Vaughan died peacefully at home on 1st April 2021, aged 82.

Patrick Hallowes Vaughan was born on 16th June 1938 and displayed early footballing skills whilst at Repton School where he was four years in the soccer eleven between 1953 and 1956, being captain in his final year during which he represented the Public Schools XI. 

On going up to Clare College, Cambridge he gained his soccer blue in December 1961 at Wembley; playing at right half he assisted the light blues in their 2-0 victory. The match programme pen picture stated: ‘Now a third year historian, he has gone on considerably with the experience he gained playing for Ashfield Town in the Southern League...’ 

Most of his football was with the Old Reptonians and he played for them in five Arthur Dunn Cup Finals between 1960 and 1970 being on the winning side on three occasions. He has been described as “one of the best footballers Repton ever produced. Beautifully balanced, and a visionary passer.” 

For the Corinthian-Casuals, he made his 1st XI debut on 14th October 1960 in a friendly against Cambridge University at Kennington Oval, scoring a goal in a 2-4 defeat to the University. He played one other first team game that season. The following season he went in the Easter Tour to the Channel Islands, playing in two of the three matches. His fifth and final 1st team appearance was on 1st May 1962 in an away league fixture at Leytonstone. 

For many years he was the Master-in-Charge of football at Millfield School.

​Frank Palmer has sadly passed away aged 91.

Born on 10 Sept 1929 he played for Corinthian-Casuals in the 1950s, a total of 92 First team matches, scoring 37 goals. His best season was 1956/7 when he played 31 games with 15 goals. That season he was also in the C-C team that lost to Wycombe Wanderers in the Amateur Cup Semi Final at Highbury. He went on tours to Libya (pic below - Frank Palmer, front row 3rd from right, brother David is directly behind him), Belgium and Jersey and played in the Reserves throughout 1959/9. His older brother David also played for the club but died some years earlier. Frank was the manager for a cork manufacturing company for most of his working life.

His daughter Carol wrote: “He was the youngest of seven brothers. He met our mother Rene when he was age 10 at school. They were inseparable until her death at the age of 76. He did National Service in the RAF but avoided the Berlin Airlift because he was picked at centre forward for the RAF team.

“My cousin Leonard remembers dad and his brother David taking the field at the Oval side by side, except that dad was playing for Ilford and David was playing for C-C. They were pitted against each other but managed to play the whole match without tackling each other. It was after this match that dad was invited to join Corinthian-Casuals.

“Leonard also tells me that during the Libya tour dad kicked the ball so hard that it broke the bar. He brought a couple of small pieces back with him to prove it.

“After football he played tennis for several clubs and won various championships, including singles, men’s doubles and mixed pairs with our Mum. When he gave up tennis he took up bowls and again won several club championships. A highlight was when he won the National over 55’s Men’s doubles with his partner Keith Broughton.

“Dad had 5 grandchildren and was very proud of them all, but especially my son Tom and Ian’s son Max who both followed in his footsteps and play football. Ian’s second son Zac plays rugby.

“Dad was lucky enough to enjoy good health in his 90’s and was fiercely independent to the end”