Clive McNelly: 1964-2024

This piece is in tribute to Clive McNelly, who sadly passed away this week.

Clive McNelly was one of those people totally dedicated to grassroots football, and in particular Wokingham & Emmbrook and now Wokingham Town.

I won’t pretend that I knew Clive in a deep way, but there was that bond that people hold across a shared passion like grassroots football – no matter who you support. You each know what the other is going through to keep that club and those teams going.

I expect Clive did almost every job across the incarnations of The Sumas. Managing the first and reserve teams, club secretary and no doubt many unseen hours behind the scenes providing time space for community football.

When Clive and his family took over The White Horse pub in Wokingham, he provided a little bit of start up money to Football in Bracknell as we were then to get us going. Following on from that we’d hold our Christmas do’s at the pub and he’d happily pop out a couple of baskets of sausage and chips for us which was a lovely gesture.

He was the inspiration for one of the very first stories on this website when, typically, despite several defeats he still had the Wokingham kit to hang out on the washing line.

Every visit to Lowther Road, we were warmly welcomed, whether he was in the dugout, on Secretary duty or behind the bar.

He will be sorely missed by his Sumas friends, and the wider football community.

Our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace Clive.