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[Ballers]

It’s a very sad day for Altrincham fans and me personally and probably will be felt by the wider non league fraternity of an older age.

Our greatest, manager, inspiration, you name it has passed away. Most of us on here will be aware but for those younger fans who couldn’t be expected to know him this man was a collosus, a leader, a talisman, a Titan, you name it. And boy could he play.

To a young soft kid from a middle class village he was like something from another world or at very least from a comic book, I couldn’t even conceive that someone of his charisma existed.

Led us to our trophy wins, cup runs and two Alliance Premier League titles before managing us to our Birmingham victory and our FA Trophy win on my last visit to Wembley in 1986 (I said I’d only go back when Alty got there…)

And his impact on the town when he came back as manager. That side he put together in the 1990/91 season was simply the greatest team I ever saw, you can keep all the rest.

In essence, he’s hooked me into our club and shaped my life in that regard. Moreover he gave myself and my father times and a bond that I don’t think we could have had in another way.

None of this even gets close to the impact he had on Alty, And as said elsewhere, I haven’t even mentioned him saving them club from extinction in 1995 and his later donation of his shares providing the springboard for us to move forward.

Rest in Peace King John, this is a tough day for us Robins and has hit me harder than I imagined, a chunk of my childhood and life has changed tonight.

[JD]

Truly shocked by this very sad news.

So many wonderful tributes here. What I remember is his character and humour: the pic of him on JL's "Alty Files" was at Graham Heathcote's testimonial where I saw him "challenge" Kenny Palin to a fight!
then the interview where he accused BBC's Barry Davies of having a rabbit on his head!

Such a loss to so many people. R.I.P  a true legend

[Strong summer needed]

RIP

[wayno]

The king is dead .

What a legend and character on and off the pitch.

So many great memories some that spring to mind have to be his incredible post match interviews, coming over to the GRE when it was kicking off asking us if we were ok and the one that lives long in the memory was a fans meeting where one inquiring fan asked the main man if there was to much swearing on and off the pitch ... To which John answers... What a stupid fxxxing question ....

Long live the King. RIP

[Toff Apple]

I recall going round to the area which is now the family stand when he had said he was leaving, someone near him asked why he was leaving.  He didnt say much apart from " Its not about me, there will always be an altrincham"

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

The Runcorn perspective:

https://www.runcornlinnetsfc.co.uk/news.asp?item=07022023190234

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

The Wigan Athletic perspective, including some reminiscences from Graham Barrow:

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/football/legends-lead-tributes-to-wigan-athletic-hero-4018238

[Nasha]

In essence, he’s hooked me into our club and shaped my life in that regard. Moreover he gave myself and my father times and a bond that I don’t think we could have had in another way.

Same here, although replace 90/91 with 94/95. That team he moulded was an image of himself with the steely grit and determination of Carmody and Green with the quality of Sharrat and Terry. I could see the genuine sadness when I told my dad the news this morning.

What a man. We can say about missing people no longer with us at the club, but without John King there would be no club. You can even forgive the infamous f'ing gobsh**e comment about the fans, such was his standing. RIP

[CRT Butty]

https://youtu.be/eQCMe2S8Nio for a glimpse of the man himself.

[John Edwards]

The Wigan Athletic perspective, including some reminiscences from Graham Barrow:

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/football/legends-lead-tributes-to-wigan-athletic-hero-4018238

Altrincham's tribute:

https://altrinchamfc.com/blogs/news/tributes-pour-in-for-the-one-and-only-john-king-heres-ours

[brisbane_alty]

I don’t think there will ever be anyone who has as big an impact on the club. When we redevelop the stadium, we must name one of the new stands in his honour.

Many memories have been shared in this thread, and as someone who started watching Alty in 1979, I too remember many of them. But my main memory is when we got relegated from the Conference for the first time. The fans invaded the pitch to show their support for the team, and John King was in tears. The club and the fans meant that much to him.

[Hugh]

The Wigan Athletic perspective, including some reminiscences from Graham Barrow:

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/football/legends-lead-tributes-to-wigan-athletic-hero-4018238

Altrincham's tribute:

https://altrinchamfc.com/blogs/news/tributes-pour-in-for-the-one-and-only-john-king-heres-ours

' "He was an honest and forthright person who wore his heart on his sleeve – always giving 100% himself and motivating others to exceed their expectations on numerous occasions. What some people won’t know is that he was also the changing room joker, using humour as a motivational tool and dressing up in women’s clothes or as a pantomime horse to calm the nerves before big games. He always had time for the younger element of our crowd, being seen as a “gentle giant” after his colossus displays on the pitch.'

Never mind someone you'd want in the trenches with you, you'd positively look forward to the trenches if Kingy was there!

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

An obituary has now been published on the Wigan Athletic club website.

As some of us had suspected (!), he was almost three years older than his official profile in the pen pictures of match programmes.

One error: he had been playing for Kirkby Town for at least a couple of seasons prior to his first appearance at Moss Lane on New Year's Day 1971:


https://wiganathletic.com/news/2023/february/09/obituary-johnny-king-1947-2023-/

[Sale Holmfield]

An obituary has now been published on the Wigan Athletic club website.

As some of us had suspected (!), he was almost three years older than his official profile in the pen pictures of match programmes.

One error: he had been playing for Kirkby Town for at least a couple of seasons prior to his first appearance at Moss Lane on New Year's Day 1971:


https://wiganathletic.com/news/2023/february/09/obituary-johnny-king-1947-2023-/

Another error is that I am pretty sure he managed Bangor City after leaving us in 1998 before Ashton United, but it's a good write-up.

South Liverpool have also published a tribute for his short but instantly successful  spell in management there, featuring yet another date of birth. I already had my doubts and can only think that he knocked a couple of years off whenever he moved to a new club!

https://www.southliverpoolfc.com/news-lottery/

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]