FORMER Wellington footballer John Harcombe has died in Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, at the age of 80.

Mr Harcombe lived at Lower Foxmoor Road, Rockwell Green, and passed away on Tuesday of last week, having not been well for some time.

He was the youngest son of Sid Harcombe, who played in goal for Wellington for many years. He first played football for Burlescombe for three years and, then at 17, played for Ilfracombe in the South West League and had offers to play for both Exeter City and Leicester City but turned down both, saying he had no ambitions to become a professional footballer.

He spent his National Service in the RAF and represented the Air Force at top level. In 1960 he joined Wellington where he played well into his 40s.

For many years he was top scorer and, being 6ft 3in, scored many of his goals with his head. He spent a lot of time at the football club along with many of the players. They helped fundraise and also to dig out the foundations of the current clubhouse.

He also played skittles for the Soccerites, who were regular winners in the Wellington Ex-Services League.

He was also a very good club cricketer and played for Wellington and Bell Green.

He worked for Fox Bros for 30 years until the main factory closed and went on to work as a caretaker at Rockwell Green Primary School. He was married to Margaret for 60 years and had four children – Mary, Teresa, Veronica and a son Shaun, who died in January of last year. He had nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Known as ‘Dapper Harcombe’, he was never seen without a comb!