Hinckley AFC are deeply saddened to learn that former match secretary and treasurer, and honorary president Ray Baggott passed away last night.
Ray had been involved with Hinckley football since the days of Hinckley Athletic, and followed Hinckley’s clubs through days of Hinckley United and into Hinckley AFC, where he remained involved until the summer.
Having been a director and then secretary at Athletic, he became secretary at United for almost its entire existence – apart from a brief spell at the beginning.
That the club, for all its troubles in its later days, never once fielded an ineligible player was testament to Ray’s professionalism and inside out knowledge of the rulebooks.
He took on the same role upon the formation of Hinckley AFC, and fulfilled that, alongside treasurer for a time, with the same commitment and excellence until he stepped down this summer.
The club recognised upwards of 30 years of service to the town by offering him the honorary presidency of the club in September, a role which he accepted.
We recently learned that he was ill in hospital with a brain tumour, and he sadly lost his battle yesterday.
In Ray and Simon Blyth, in just over two years the club has lost two people who typified most what Hinckley AFC is about – and arguably the two who were most influential in our formation five years ago.
The club would like to offer its sincere condolences to Ray’s wife Deb, daughters Lorraine and Michelle and his family.
Rest in peace, Ray.
