Former Mansfield Town title-winning coach John Haselden dies aged 76

Living in Nottingham, he had been suffering with Alzheimer's disease for the past six years.

A Stags club statement read: “Mansfield Town is deeply saddened to hear the news of John’s passing.

“He’ll be forever remembered at the Stags as a key part of the coaching staff in 1975 when we won the Fourth Division title.

“His time at Mansfield was the springboard for a long and distinguished career in coaching and physiotherapy, which spanned over three decades.

“John was a true gentlemen and hugely generous of his time to others.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with John’s family at this sad time.”

After long spells with Rotherham United and Doncaster Rovers as a centre half, Haselden also had a loan spell at Mansfield between 1971 and 1972 where he played four games.

But in 1974, he retired from the game and joined Mansfield's coaching staff, becoming Dave Smith's first team coach and helping the club to win the Division Four title in 1974/75.

Mick Buxton took over as coach at Mansfield after Haselden left and became caretaker manager when Dave Smith left the Stags in 1976.

Haselden also has a special place in Huddersfield Town folklore as assistant to manager Buxton as the club achieved two promotions in the early 80s, the first also winning the Fourth Division title, before his sacking in 1986.

After seven subsequent years on the Reading coaching staff, he left in 1993 to join Nottingham Forest as club physio.

He worked at Forest for nine years before leaving to join Aston Villa in 2002 for two years which was followed by four years at Notts County.

Mick Buxton said of his former colleague: “It's very sad but, even though John prided himself on physical fitness, he was deprived a long and enjoyable retirement with his beloved wife Eileen by dementia which is a real shame.

“When he should have been enjoying seeing Huddersfield reach the Premier League and playing golf, which he loved, it was very upsetting to see him develop Alzheimer’s and end up in a care home after years of Eileen being an amazing wife and caring for him at home.

“John’s death is another wake-up call - it just shows the importance of the football authorities helping scientists find answers about the links between the game and this cruel disease.

“There are so many former footballers, people who mean a lot to me, who are losing their lives to dementia.”

“I can’t imagine a worse disease to deal with,” said wife Eileen, who has launched her own fundraising campaign, Together We Can.

“I don’t want to dwell on the horror of this disease but I would ask that people try to be kind when they see people behaving badly as they may well have this awful brain disease.

“They say it’s worse for the carer. I hope that’s true, as I wouldn’t want John to go through what I have lived with.”

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