ONE of Macclesfield Town’s best-loved footballing sons, who devoted decades to the team as a player, trainer and physio, has died.

Talented midfielder David Michael Twigg, who declined an offer to try out for Leeds United in 1965 because his mum didn’t want him to go, played for the Silkmen in the Sixties.

He was also part of the official party that travelled to Wembley for the 1970 FA Trophy Final.

The grandfather-of-three, of Fountain Street, Macclesfield, lost his battle with lung cancer on July 4, aged just 63.

David’s only son Lee, of Beverley Way, Tytherington, said: "He was very good in his day and he was spotted by (Leeds Utd manager) Don Revie who offered him a trial – but it was his mum who didn’t want him to go and he decided he would rather stay in Macclesfield with them. I asked him whether he regretted never playing at the top level, but he just said that there were a lot of good players at the time. He may have thought about what might have been, but I think he was happy with how things worked out."

David, who grew up on Mill Lane with his two sisters Vivian and Susan, took early retirement from the club when he married his wife Jackie in 1970, and moved to Gravestone-on-Sea, where son Lee was born.

He returned to Macclesfield shortly afterwards – during Brian Booth’s managership – and joined the club as trainer and sports physiotherapist, working alongside Dr Mike Whiteside.

A true football fan, he founded Sport For All, a Macclesfield scheme which took young footballers from the area on exchanges to Eckernforde, a German town.

Lee added: "He supported Macclesfield Town, but it was the game he loved rather than individual teams, he loved it."

Mike Rance, chairman of the club, said: "David Twigg was an important part of Macclesfield Town’s history and will be remembered for the contribution he made to the success of the team in the early Seventies. We regret his passing and he will be missed."

David, who retired to Manot in France with his partner June five years ago, had three grandchildren – Dylan, four, Brittany, 13, and Lewis, 18.

His funeral takes place tomorrow, (Thursday, July 16) at St Paul’s Church in Brooke Street, at 10.15am, where the chaplain of Macclesfield Town will lead the service. A celebration of David’s life will then take place at the McIlroy Suite at Moss Rose, from 3pm onwards.