The club is sad to learn about the death of our former manager Peter Madden at the age of 85.

Peter was appointed as manager in the summer of 1975 following Billy Horner’s departure, and presided over some of our best seasons in the 1970s.

In his first season, 1975-76, we beat Third Division Sheffield Wednesday on penalties in the League Cup, and then beat Second Division Luton 2-1 in the second round at Feethams. We gave a battling performance before we lost 3-0 at West Ham’s Upton Park.

We finished 11^th in the Fourth Division in season 1976/77, as well as reaching the third round of the FA Cup for the first time since 1964. We beat Scarborough, Sheffield Wednesday – Ron Ferguson’s 50 yarder anybody? – before losing to Orient after two replays at Tottenham.

In 1978/79, we reached the third round of the League Cup, going down 1-0 at Everton’s Goodison Park after we defeated Mansfield and Second Division Fulham. Peter said after the Fulham win; “We were magic, Fulham had no answer to our enthusiasm and determination.”

Peter left the club in October 1978, and went on to manage Rochdale.

In the Farewell to Feethams book, midfielder Dennis Wann described Peter as a “gentle giant” and said; “The club was hard up, and Peter was manager, trainer, physio. He was a good judge of a player.”

Another former player, Barry Lyons, said in Farewell to Feethams; “He was a good manager. He protected players from the problems of the boardroom, and tried to get us a pay rise whenever he could. I know there was a fair bit of friction between him and the board, but he acted as a barrier so that it didn’t filter down to the players.”

The club would like to pass on its sincere condolences to Peter’s family.