- Stephen Clemence and Justin Edinburgh were friends from their time at Spurs
- Clemence remembers the education she received in Edinburgh before her death
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In an era of football increasingly driven by wealth and cynicism, it is sometimes easy to overlook the stories that give the game its soul.
Stephen Clemence and Justin Edinburgh forged a friendship on the pitches of Tottenham’s former training grounds at Spurs Lodge and Mill Hill. They played together 27 times for the north London club and, after retiring, found careers in coaching and management.
They both managed Gillingham and when Clemence takes his current team Barrow to Priestfield in League Two on Saturday, Edinburgh will not be far from his thoughts.
Edinburgh, who was managed by Gills from 2015 to 2017, died aged 49 in 2019, five days after suffering cardiac arrest. He had recently guided Leyton Orient back to the Football League.
“He was very close to Justin,” Clemence told Mail Sport. “I sat next to him in the Tottenham dressing room and he was the one who helped me keep my feet on the ground when I broke into the first team.
Barrow boss Stephen Clemence (pictured) has been remembering his former friend and team-mate Justin Edinburgh.
Edinburgh died at age 49 in 2019, five days after suffering cardiac arrest
Stephen (right) remembers playing Edinburgh previously with his father and former England goalkeeper, Ray Clemence (left).
“I had played with my dad (former England goalkeeper Ray Clemence) so there was a connection there. “When working with Steve Bruce at Aston Villa, Justin took his Orient team to train at Bodymoor Heath on one occasion.
“I spoke to him then about the management of the lower leagues and he said that the main difference is that what happens between the two categories does not matter much. What counts is what happens in them.
“When I heard the news I was more surprised than ever and I still can’t believe he is no longer with us.
‘When I got the job at Gillingham, Justin’s son Charlie contacted me. I was following in his dad’s footsteps and he told me ‘Dad would be proud of you.’
“I’m still in touch on Instagram with his wife and son and I’m proud of Charlie for the work he’s done with the defibrillators and CPR training.”
Edinburgh (right) had recently guided Leyton Orient back to the Football League before his shock death.
Edinburgh’s son Charlie (centre) has helped set up the Justin Edinburgh 3 Foundation, which has directly saved two people’s lives thanks to the numerous defibrillators he has donated.
Charlie helped set up the Justin Edinburgh 3 Foundation, which directly saved two people’s lives through the numerous defibrillators he donated, as well as running CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training sessions.
With Edinburgh’s advice ringing in his ears, Clemence will look to maintain Barrow’s excellent start to the season and give Gills something to think about. The 46-year-old was sacked last April after just six months as the board decided he had achieved nothing good in taking the club to 12th place.
The first signs are that you are proving them wrong. Barrow’s Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea in midweek could net the club up to £450,000 and they are top of League Two, above second-placed Gillingham, on goal difference.
Clemence added: “I feel like I left the role too early while we were building something, but there’s no animosity on my part. It was a kick in the gut to lose my job, but when Barrow called I knew it was the right thing to do. It’s nice to be back in Gillingham in the top of the table”.
