Tributes paid to ex-Macc Town chief
TRIBUTES have been paid to a man who was made life president of Macclesfield Town for his dedicated service to the club.
Well-known Roy Higginbotham, who lived just a few hundred yards away from the Moss Rose ground, passed away in Macclesfield Hospital on July 4.
He had battled medical conditions including pneumonia and fibrosis and his funeral will be held at Macclesfield Crematorium on Thursday, August 5.
Roy first became involved with the now defunct Macc Town when his son Andrew played for its junior sides.
But he stayed with the club after Andrew moved on, joining the board of the directors in the mid 1980s and later being made life president.
Andrew, 52, said: “He would follow me playing football; he gave up season tickets at Manchester United and would watch every single game. Then he continued to support the youth.
“My dad had a lot of love and affection for the club and was very wellknown. He was very community minded and immersed himself in the club. He was a loyal
Macc fan. People described him as a one off and a larger than life character. He spoke honestly, was witty and sharp-mined with a heart of gold.”
Roy was born in Manchester in 1935 but moved to Bollington as a youngster before living in Macclesfield itself with his wife Margaret, now 83.
He served with the Cheshire Regiment in the Malayan conflict in the 1950s, for which he was decorated by both the British government and retrospectively by the Malaysian government.
After becoming involved with the Silkmen, Roy organised the turnstile team on match days and used his network of contacts to project manage construction work.
A self-employed decorator, he also used these skills to regularly paint parts of the Moss Rose stadium and still has shares in Macclesfield Town.
Despite spending all this time at the club Roy was also a dedicated family man.
Andrew said: “He supported me in whatever I did; he was very devoted to taking care of his family.
“He was also Macclesfield through and through.”
Roy’s service will take place at 2pm.