Les Riggs

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Les Riggs
Les Riggs pictured in a Gillingham shirt
Personal information
Full name Leslie John Riggs
Date of birth (1935-05-30)30 May 1935
Place of birth Portsmouth, England
Date of death 29 December 2020(2020-12-29) (aged 85)
Position(s) Half-back
Youth career
1952–1953 Gillingham
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1953–58 Gillingham[1] 152 (3)
1958–61 Newport County[1] 110 (3)
1961–63 Bury[1] 6 (0)
1963–64 Crewe Alexandra[1] 67 (6)
1964–65 Gillingham[1] 18 (1)
1965–? Ramsgate
Managerial career
1965–? Ramsgate
1971–77 Margate
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 April 2007

Leslie John Riggs (30 May 1935 – 29 December 2020) was an English former professional

Football League appearances, his most successful spells being spent with Gillingham and Newport County
.

Career

Although born in Portsmouth, Riggs came through the junior ranks with Gillingham and made his league debut in April 1954 at the age of just 18. He went on to make 152 appearances for the Kent club and was noted for his tough tackling and long throw-ins.[2]

In 1958 Riggs moved to Newport County for a fee of £1,750, where he again racked up over 100

Division Three, and made 18 further appearances for the Gills.[2]

In October 1965 Riggs joined non-league

player-manager and later spent more than five years as manager of their near-neighbours Margate.[2][3]

After leaving football in 1977 Riggs ran a guest house[2] and later opened a sporting goods shop in Cliftonville which still bears his name.[4] He lived in Broadstairs in retirement.[2] He died on 29 December 2020, aged 85.[5]

References