JACKIE SWINDELLS
Altrincham FC has issued the following statement:
It is with a huge sense of loss and sadness that Altrincham have announced the death of Jackie Swindells at his home in Cornwall at the age of 72. Jackie had suffered health problems of late, but his passing, at 3.30 this morning (Tuesday), was still described as unexpected and has left everyone at Moss Lane deeply saddened.
One of the most prolific scorers in the history of non-League football, Jackie's astonishing return of 82 goals from 63 appearances in his first full season at the club made him an authentic Alty legend whose enduring appeal was evident to all when he made an emotional return to his old stamping ground last April.
Guest of honour against Kidderminster, to mark his 72nd birthday, he reminisced with some familiar faces but also found himself obliging youthful autograph hunters who knew all about his fabled scoring exploits. As vice-chairman Grahame Rowley observed: 'Whenever anyone talks about Altrincham Football Club, one name always crops up. Young or old, it doesn't make any difference. There's a shake of the head and a look of wonder as Jackie's famous season is recalled, when he scored over 80 goals. He was a true legend of this club, and what he did here has been a frequent topic of conversation for all ages, from teens to 80-year olds. It was great that he was able to travel up for his birthday and spend some time with us all. This is desperately sad news, but it is still nice to think that we've all got that final memory of him'.
Graham Heathcote narrowly missed out on playing alongside Jackie but soon had a close-up of the former England Youth international's lethal touch in an FA Cup tie at Moss Lane. 'It was the early 70s, and Jackie had moved on to Radcliffe Boro,' said the Alty manager. 'Everyone had them down as outsiders when they came to our place, but Jackie had other ideas. He scored with a bullet header, and we were 2-0 down after quarter-of-an-hour! Andy Windsor saw us through with a hat-trick, but that was a reminder of what Jackie was all about anywhere near goal. Scoring 80-odd times in a season is phenomenal, by any standards, and I can't imagine we'll see it again. The term legend tends to be used a bit too easily these days, but it was entirely fitting for Jackie. He did so much for this club, and you could see the affection people had for him when he visited a few months ago'.
The club will consider ways of honouring Jackie's memory, according to Grahame Rowley, who added: 'For now, what matters most is that our thoughts are with Jackie's family'.
Terry Rowley's account of Jackie's career is in the Altrincham FC Legends section of the website. Jackie is the second player from the right on the front row of the accompanying photo of the 1966 Alty side.