Rodney Fern: 1948-2018

Rodney, who played in the 1969 FA Cup Final against Manchester City was a pupil, and near contemporary, of Leicester City team mate and captain David Nish at Ashby Grammar School, before going on to play for Measham Social Welfare. From there he was recommended to Leicester City, for whom he signed in December 1966, aged 18. He went on to play 187 games for Leicester City, scoring 40 goals. He played under Matt Gillies, Frank O’Farrell and Jimmy Bloomfield.

Many of these games were in the old First Division. He scored some memorable goals, perhaps the most notable being his spectacular overhead kick against Birmingham City in the opening match of the 1969/70 season. At Leicester, he played alongside such strikers as Frank Large, Andy Lochhead and Allan Clarke.  He won a Second Division title with the City in 1971, the Charity (Community Shield) three months later and was a regular in Jimmy Bloomfield’s side which consolidated their position back in the top division in 1971/2. In his final season at Leicester he played alongside Keith Weller, whom he regards as the best player he ever played with.

He signed for Luton Town in 1972, and then played for Chesterfield  (1975-79) and Rotherham United (1979-83)  He retired in 1984 after a career in which he played nearly 500 games

Whilst playing for Rotherham United (with whom he won the Third Division title in 1980/81) Rodney and his wife Linda went into the pub trade taking over the Ferrers Arms on Ashby Hill at Lount, a small village near Ashby de la Zouch. Rodney later went on to develop a coal merchant business based in Measham operating in the North West Leicestershire and Derbyshire area, where he was very well known.

In an interview for Leicester City’s Matchday Magazine in 2013, Rodney talked about his career at Leicester City.

“The 1968 Cup tie was a week after my debut against Leeds United. I was only 19. We drew 0-0 at Maine Road in front of over 50,000. Two days later we won the replay 4-3 after being 2-0 down. I scored a left footed half volley which went into the roof of the net to make it 2-1. It was my first goal for the first team. Then Frank Large, who was a very hard man, scored two and David Nish also scored. There were 40,000 at Filbert Street. It was a night game and a great atmosphere. The fans loved their cup games.  Then, the following Saturday I scored at Anfield and the week after that I also scored against Sheffield United. We had good players in the team, and many were local.

“The following season we reached the FA Cup Final against Manchester City. It was the biggest game I ever played in. On the way to Wembley we had beaten Liverpool in a replay at Anfield when Andy Lochhead scored. I scored the goal that beat Mansfield Town in the next round when I hurt my shoulder and I also got concussed. Allan Clarke, a brilliant player, scored the winner in the semi-final at Hillsborough against West Brom. He miskicked the ball didn’t he!

“It was great knowing that we were going to Wembley to play Manchester City. We trained at Bisham Abbey for the week before. John Sjoberg had to concede that he wasn’t fit.  So did Mike Stringfellow.

“On the day of the match it was in the papers that my old headmaster at Ashby Grammar School had written in a report that I must get down to some serious work at school because I’d never make my living at football!

“We should have won that Final. We had the chances. I remember Peter Rodrigues swivelling to try to score himself. If he had pushed it to me, I’m pretty sure I would have scored."

Rodney will be sadly missed and the Club’s thoughts are with his wife Linda, his family and his friends at this sad time.