Great coach and lovely man – Chichester City, Bosham and Bognor Regis Town pay tributes to Grahame

Grahame joined Chichester City at the start of the 1970/71 season and was a member of the championship-winning team in 1972.

He continued to play for the club during the 1970s but then decided coaching was more for him so he worked hard to gain his coaching badges under Denis Probee at the SCFA.

He returned to Chichester in the late 1980s as coach under Gary Thompsett’s management. He helped many players develop and improve their footballing skills and we know they all thought very highly of him.

He left and became manager of Portfield for one season before joining Bognor Regis Town as a coach where he continued to develop his coaching career. After a number of years there he moved on to coach at Bosham where his skills were also greatly appreciated.

Grahame will be sorely missed by all his former clubs, and all the players that he worked with and helped to develop.

City said: “He was an extremely nice man, well thought of and will be greatly missed by us all. We know he very much missed his late wife, Cathy, but now that are united together once again.”

Bosham FC said Grahame was a hugely respected character: “He had a brilliant footballing mind and was passionate about player development.

"It was quite a coup for the Robins to tempt Grahame into the head coach role, but we know how much he loved being part of the club as much as we valued him on our side.”

Bognor Regis Town said: “Deeply saddened to learn of passing of hugely popular Grahame after brave battle with illness – a key coaching staff figure in 90s and 2000s. Reunited with beloved wife Cathy. Thoughts and prayers are with family and friends at this sad time. RIP, Grahame.”