NICKY Jennings, probably the finest footballer to come out of Wellington, has died suddenly at the age of 70, writes Barry Knott.

Nicky, a nippy winger, went to Coram’s Lane Primary School, Wellington, and Huish Grammar in Taunton before becoming a professional footballer with Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth and Exeter City.

He also had a brief loan spell with Aldershot and played one season for Dallas Tornado in America.

His 15-year football career in the 60s and 70s included nearly 450 Football League appearances.

He started his career with Wellington and played under Sammy Kingdom after he left Exeter before managing clubs in the Wessex League.

Only last year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Portsmouth.

His lifelong pal Barry Harcombe, a former Wellingtonian who now lives in Torquay, said he is still in shock.

“We only recently met up for a reunion with friends and we were going to do the same again soon,” he said.

A diminutive – but skilful – left-winger, Nicky was Argyle’s Player of the Year in 1971. He became a probation officer after his soccer career ended.

Nicky, who had two grown-up daughters, leaves a widow, Lesley. The couple had only recently moved to live at Barton-on-Sea, near Bournemouth.

His funeral was held at Bournemouth Crematorium on Monday.

Former long-serving secretary of Wellington soccer club Tony Brown said he was sad-dened to hear the news about Nicky Jennings, who was without doubt the best player that the club had ever produced. “As well as being extremely talented, he was a great ambassador for the game and also for Wellington,” he said.

WWN sports writer Barry Knott, who was at primary school with Nicky, said: “Nicky enjoyed the life many of us can only dream about. We all knew at an early age that Nicky was going to become a professional footballer.

“He was only nine stone when he became a professional at 17 but he punched twice his weight.”