Football man who broke all barriers
MIKE APPLEBY
ENGLAND C manager Paul Fairclough has led the tributes to one of Non-League’s most influential figures, Mike Appleby, who has passed away.
Appleby, 65, spent more than 30 years working for the Football Association and held the role of Leagues and Clubs manager where he was pivotal in how the National League System looks today.
He died in hospital on Tuesday following complications with coronavirus.
Appleby was the driving force behind the remarkable growth of the England C team, the International Challenge Trophy they competed in as well as the FA Inter-League Cup that gives grass-roots players the opportunity to represent their country.
He left the FA in 2015 but remained active as general secretary of the Spartan South Midlands League and he held roles with FIFA as a match commissioner and with UEFA as a march delegate.
Fairclough said: “Mike Appleby was an FA man, for sure, but he was a football man.
“He didn’t have a lot of time for the professional game but he had a massive affection for NonLeague football. His baby was the England C team. When I got there, Mike was just beginning to make contacts in Europe. He was the one who reached out to these European nations.
“Mike sensed I wanted more but that was fine because he did anyway. We started looking to develop a team that could do good and give people a leg up into the pro game and still, the most important thing, of them playing for their country.
“That’s what Mike created – a really prestigious team. He fought for the budget to be increased and once that happened the team started to branch out.”
Under Appleby’s guidance, Non-League’s Three Lions pushed boundaries, playing the likes of the USA, Russia, Turkey, Bermuda and even in Jordan, where the team were praised for their work with refugees.
Gratitude
“He took the England team to another level,” Fairclough said. “Russia? Who’d have thought the England C team would play in a UEFA-backed tournament against Russia in one of their huge stadiums? Who’d have thought we’d play Turkey? Who’d have thought we’d go over to America, come back and two days later we’d be playing Iraq at Macclesfield? He wanted the best for the team.”
England C goalkeeper coach Mick Payne says the England C alumni owe Appleby a debt of gratitude for the work he put in for many years, as well as the amateur players who have represented their country in the UEFA Regions’ Cup.
“They got selected and Mike Appleby was the first port of call,” Payne said. “He informed the players and I know he used to take great pride in that.
“When they were out on the field of play you could see he had a smile on his face to say, ‘What an achievement that is for these players to represent their country’. He had a massive part in that. I will never forget that.
“As friends and colleagues, I owe him a huge debt. He really backed me. I’ve known him over 16 years and he’s become a great friend. We sat for many hours in obscure places across the world where we spoke about football, the players and his experiences. He just loved the game.”
Appleby was meticulous in his preparations but Fairclough fondly remembers one particular time when problemsolving was quickly required.
“I will never forget it,” Fairclough said. “He always used to send us big reminders: DON’T forget your passport.
“One time we were on a bus to Belgium and we pulled up at the border. Everyone had to get off, go in, show their passports and go out the other side to get back on the bus, which would be driven round to pick us up.
One in a million
“It soon became clear Mike didn’t have his passport! So we conjured up the idea that Mike would swap places with the driver. The driver went in with his passport and Mike drove the bus across the border! It was hilarious.”
Payne added: “I never saw the man flustered. Maybe frustrated but never flustered! When it came to organising and getting things done, the one person you’d want is Mike Appleby.
“We spent many an hour on a trip chatting. When we had a little bit of downtime and the players had gone to bed, there would be Mike with myself, Jimmy Conway, Jack Demetriou, Steve Burr, the Doc – Steve Feldman – and, of course, Paul Fairclough. It was his football family.
“Being able to spend time with him was a privilege and an honour. He’s one in a million. He will be sorely missed.”
Tributes have poured in from across the game.
Spartan South Midlands League chairman Pat Burns said: “He was gentle and kind. His vast knowledge, he was willing to help anybody and any club whatever. He’d always give advice they wanted to hear. Anyone who dealt with Mike had huge respect for him.”
The FA’s Head of National League System Laurence Jones added: “He will be remembered for the outstanding work he undertook with the National League System and its leagues and clubs.
“Mike will be sorely missed by his family, friends and the wider football family. He was a gentle and kind man, who devoted his life to football and to helping others.”