Sid Ottewell – born 23 October 1919 died 31 January 2012

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It is with regret that we announce the death of one of Lockheed-Leamington’s greatest managers, Sid Ottewell who passed away on January 31st at a nursing home in Eastwood at the grand old age of 92.

Paul Vanes writes:
I was lucky enough to see Sid playing for Birmingham City when I was a nipper in 1947/48 season, mainly with Blues Reserves but he made five first team appearances scoring two goals before moving on in December.

He missed six years through the Second World War but joined the RAF as a physical training instructor finding the time to guest for Birmingham FC, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Bradford City, Chester, Chesterfield, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur. He still had a lengthy career making 191 appearances netting 54 goals for Chesterfield, Blues, Luton Town, Nottingham Forest, Mansfield Town and Scunthorpe United, Sid switched to non league football becoming player/manager of Spalding United in 1953 and after taking Bourne Town to the championship of the Central Alliance in 1959/60 he was inivited to join the Brakes.

Sid immediately lifted Brakes carrying on the great work started by Les Latham and over the next eight and a half years, won the last Birmingham League title then the first one under their new name of the West Midlands (Regional) League, the club switched to the Midland Counties League in 1963/64 and the following season Lockheed were champions. Cup success came with the lifting of the Birmingham Senior Cup in 1961/62 and finalists a season later whilst in the FA cup, the fourth qualifying round was reached twice.

Sid’s record is better than most:-
Played 346 league games, won 203, drawn 62 with just 81 defeats, goals for totalled a magnificent 924 and only 516 against for a haul of 468 points. Brakes fans saw goals galore as one hundred thundered into the opposition net for seven successive seasons with the highest being 126 in 1965/66.

Great days, great players and an extraordinary manager wielding the baton, Rest in Peace Sid.

We hope his children Carole and Peter plus the 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren accept our deepest condolences on behalf of the Trust and all supporters of the Brakes. The funeral was held on Friday 17th of February.