Cliff Nugent R.I.P.

[ChrisB]

Ex-City player Cliff Nugent has died at the age of 88.

He was more or less an ever-present for City through the 1948-49 season, playing on the left-wing in most matches and scoring nine goals.

He was a member of the side that played in the match that drew City's largest ever gate to The White House (9756 v Leytonstone in the FAAC).

He moved on to Headington United the following season before signing for Division One side Cardiff City in 1951. After several seasons in Wales he joined Mansfield Town before returning to the Southern League with Weymouth in 1960 and then to Western League Portland United as player-coach.

[ChrisB]

I wonder if Cliff was the last survivor of the team from that record-breaking day? He was one of the very strong group of players that played for City in the period immediately following WW2, before, like him, they moved away to join the ranks of professional football.

Out of interest, the team v Leytonstone was: Aubrey Oakey, Peter Stone, Keith Savin, Alec Clarke, Ralph Walker, Maurice Charlton, Peter Wheeler, Percy James, Frank Avery, Ralph Martin and Cliff Nugent.

[exile]

Yes, quite a few of that era went pro, including John Varney and Alec Jefferies. Would we have kept some of them if City had decided in 1948 to join the Southern League?