HIS
many friends in teaching and soccer circles are
mourning the death of a popular personality whose
skill and dedication, both in the classroom and
on the football field, helped shape the careers
of a multitude of youngsters. Mr James 'Jimmy'
Dewsnip, age 59, died at his Windle home last
week after battling against cancer for the past
12 months. He leaves a widow Enid - to whom he
had been married for 38 years - sons Neil and
Stephen, and grandchildren Benjamin, Katie and
Alice. Born in Haydock, Jimmy's first
teaching appointment was at Gateacre
Comprehensive School, and he then held a
technical subjects post at Prescot Grammar
School. It was during his time at Prescot that Mr
Dewsnip's soccer know-how, nurtured as an
uncompromising full-back and then coach with St
Helens Town, helped steer a school team including
future Everton star Geoff Nulty to signal success
in the National Cup. Promotion as head of lower
school and subsequently the deputy headship
followed at Cantril High School, a position which
Mr Dewsnip held until his early retirement from
teaching in 1989.
Up
to that point Jimmy had been able to allow his
twin roles to run cheek-by-jowl, but with
classroom cares now behind him he devoted more of
his time to an increasing involvement in soccer
affairs. And what an odyssey of round-ball
commitment it had proved to be for FA staff coach
Jimmy Dewsnip, whose many and varied career high
points saw him impart his subtle coaching skills
at Altrincham, at Liverpool under 'Shanks,' and
latterly with Bruce Rioch and Colin Todd at
Bolton Wanderers.
Jimmy's
travels in the furtherance of football excellence
were to take him to such far-flung outposts as
Vancouver, South Africa and Austria, while nearer
home he was a familiar figure at the Lilleshall
soccer schools for 20 years. Away from football,
Jimmy's main relaxation was spending weekends at
his caravan with Enid, and he was also never
happier than when sitting on the executive
committee of the National Caravan Club.
Much
of Mr Dewsnip's appetite for soccer rubbed off on
eldest son Neil, who was community development
officer at Everton and will start a new career on
January 1 as North East Regional director of FA
Schools of Excellence based at Harrogate. Second
son Stephen is a director of the Rothschild
merchant bank group in Guernsey.
Said
Mrs Dewsnip: "Jimmy never had a day's
illness until last year, and often said that if
he died tomorrow he could have no complaints
because he had a full life and had enjoyed every
minute of it. Sadly that has come to pass, and
although the past few months have not been easy
my family and I would like to thank the doctors,
nurses and all Jimmy's friends for their
unswerving support," added Mrs. Dewsnip.
Bruce
Rioch, Bolton Wanderers star David Lee, Geoff
Nulty and coach Alex Gibson acted as pall-bearers
at a packed crematorium on Monday,with the
service being conducted by Reverend Steph
Roberts, a Caravan Club colleague. A fitting
epitaph to the life of Jimmy Dewsnip was to be
found in the funeral eulogy when Mr. Roberts said
he was a 'very kind man who had a good word for
everyone he came into contact with.'
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