Former Nantwich Town manager and chairman Clive Jackson has been honoured with a prestigious award.
Clive was celebrated for his dedication and impact on grassroots football at a ceremony at the Cheshire Football Association Grassroots Football Awards.
He was recognised with the prestigious Changing Lives Through Football Award.
It was a tribute to a man who has left a mark on Nantwich Town and the Cheshire football community.
His career with Nantwich Town spanned more than three decades, during which he served as manager, chairman, and leader whose contributions transformed the club.
Under Clive’s guidance, Nantwich Town FC achieved numerous milestones, expanded its community outreach, and cultivated a legacy of inclusivity and ambition that continues to thrive.
Known for his personal mentorship and dedication to nurturing young talent, Clive has played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of countless players, many of whom went on to professional success.
As Nantwich Town continues to build on the foundation Clive helped create, his legacy remains woven into the fabric of the club, inspiring future generations to carry forward his vision for grassroots football.
Before managing the Dabbers reserves, ‘Jacko’ was manager of the British Rail London Midland Regional Team and Coach to the GB British Rail team playing against their equivalents in Germany, Holland and across Europe.
He was then appointed first team Manager in November 1992 – initially on a caretaker basis – following the resignation of Peter Ward, becoming the club’s youngest ever Manager at the age of just 28.
At the time, the Dabbers were 20th in the NW Counties League First Division.
He appointed Jon Brydon as assistant manager and they guided the team away from relegation.
In the process, Clive was awarded NWCL Manager of the Month Award for February 1993 – an accolade he would receive again in August/September 1993, April 1994 and November 1996.
At the end of his first season at the helm, he took the Dabbers to the NW Counties League Cup Final for first time in the club’s history and Nantwich finished the season comfortably 13th in the table.
Remarkably, 12 months later, he secured the club’s then highest finish in the NW Counties League (4th)
In May 1995, Nantwich won the NW Counties League Cup for the first and only time in the club’s history – defeating Trafford in the final at Gigg Lane, Bury.
Clive’s managerial success continued when Dabbers striker Andy Locke scored the fastest ever hat-trick (2 minutes 20 seconds) in FA Cup history against Droylsden in September 1995.
At the end of that season, he persuaded England captain David Platt to turn out in Dave Pullar’s Testimonial at Jackson Avenue – just a few weeks before taking part in Euro 96.
In June 1998, Jacko stepped up to become chairman of the club and director of football having passed on the managerial reins to Dave Roycroft.
Clive then started preparing the club for a move to a new stadium and was innovative in the development of a youth set-up.
He worked to progress the club and in 2003 Nantwich became one of the first clubs in the country to be awarded the prestigious FA Charter Standard Community Club award.
Clive continued to drive the club forward and in 2004, the club secured a Football Foundation grant of £1 million towards the development of a new stadium and community facilities, and the appointment of a Football Development Officer.
With Clive continuing in the role of Chairman and Director of Football, the appointment of Steve Davis as Head Coach was followed by Nantwich gaining national recognition in winning the FA Vase – defeating Hillingdon Borough in the Final at Birmingham City in May 2006.
The following season, Nantwich finished 3rd in the NW Counties League (the highest ever position) and gained promotion to the Northern Premier League.
After extensive planning and work, in August 2007 the new £4m Weaver Stadium was opened in Kingsley Fields, and with the state-of-the-art synthetic pitch, Clive was able to massively increase the number of youngsters and teams using this fantastic new facility.
By the end of the campaign, promotion from the First Division (South) of the Northern Premier League was achieved and the Dabbers won the Cheshire Senior Cup for the first time in over 30 years.
In May 2009, the club was on the brink of promotion to the Conference North but narrowly lost the Play-Off Final in extra time at Ilkeston Town.
With the huge progress of the club both on and off the pitch, as Chairman Clive oversaw the club becoming a Company Limited by Guarantee with a Board of Directors taking over from the old committee in July 2010.
The stadium was put in trust to safeguard it as a community asset for future generations.
In June 2011, with continuing work commitments in Dubai, Clive switched to the role of vice-chairman.
Even from such distance, he remained instrumental in driving the development of the club in all aspects, ensuring it is at the heart of the community with well over 50 community teams, including youth, girls, women, veterans and disabled.
Clive continued as vice-chairman until April 2020 when he became a life vice-president of the club.
His extensive knowledge, energy and drive also massively increased the profile of the club, in turn significantly increasing attendances.
With his personal touch, he fostered good relations throughout the local football world, notably with our friends and neighbours at Crewe Alex.
He also went out of his way to nurture footballing careers not just on the pitch but off it – with the likes of Steve Davis and Phil Parkinson in management and Steve Smithies as CEO at Cheshire FA.
After stepping down as a director after being the heartbeat of the club for so long, the club, town and community of Nantwich have owed so much to Clive Jackson for spearheading the remarkable transition of Nantwich Town FC over three decades, making it one of the top community non-league clubs in the country.
(Story by Jonathan White and Michael Chatwin)
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