MICK OATES RIP

TRIBUTES have been paid to former Brigg Town footballer and coach Mick Oates, who has died at the age of 67.

Mr Oates spent six years with the Zebras as a player and was heavily involved with the club during the triumphant FA Vase campaign of 1996.

After the Wembley win that year, he was instrumental in setting up the club’s successful youth section.

He died on July 28, after a short battle with cancer.

Mr Oates’ wife, Sue, said: “He played for Brigg Town for quite a number of years and went on to help manage the team for a few years.

“He was always involved, even when he was with other clubs.

“When Brigg got to the FA Vase Final, he had a lot of involvement in that, plus on the back of that, they started setting up the youth section.”

Mr Oates’ son, Ryan, said: “During the FA Vase run, he used to do the physiotherapy and supported Raz Clayton as manager.

“Because of that success, they were able to set up a youth section and he started to develop that.

“The team that he ran won everything and a lot of them ended up going to Scunthorpe United.

“Following on from that, he went to Scunthorpe as a centre of excellence coach.”

Mr Oates grew up in the Isle of Axholme and went to school in Haxey and at Benjamin Adlard Grammar School in Gainsborough.

He excelled academically and showed an early talent for sports, especially football, which led to offers of a professional contract at Grimsby Town and then Scunthorpe United.

Mrs Oates said: “Mick was involved in football all his life and after being released from a pro contract, he played and managed at Brigg Town and Winterton, and played for many local teams.”

Mr and Mrs Oates met in 1981 and married in 1989.

Mrs Oates said: “Mick was extremely proud of his four sons – Simon and Dan from his first marriage and later on, Ryan and Matt – and their achievements in life.

“They have all exceeded all expectations, and he was a proud grandad of Thomas and Noah.

“He loved family life and was a loving and much-loved husband and father.”

Mr Oates worked at Marshall’s engineering in Gainsborough, before moving to the steelworks in Scunthorpe, where he worked until his retirement seven years ago as a planning engineer.

He took up playing the bass guitar in the 1990s and went on to play in several local bands, including Black Velvet.

A funeral service was held at Holy Trinity Church in Messingham on August 17 and Mrs Oates said the family had been “overwhelmed” with the messages of support they had received.

Article copyright of Scunthorpe Telegraph