Les Riggs

Football player infobox| playername= Les Riggs
fullname = Leslie John Riggs
nickname =


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1935|05|30
dateofdeath=
cityofdeath=
cityofbirth = Portsmouth
countryofbirth = England
countryofdeath =
height = 5'10"
currentclub = n/a
clubnumber =n/a
position = Half-back
youthyears = 1952-1953
youthclubs = Gillingham
years=1953-58
1958-61
1961-63
1963-64
1964-65
1965-?
clubs=Gillingham
Newport County
Bury
Crewe Alexandra
Gillingham
Ramsgate
caps(goals) = 152 (3) [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/lesriggs.htm Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database] ]
110 (3)
006 (0)
067 (6)
018 (1)
"tbc"
manageryears = 1965-?
1971-77| managerclubs = Ramsgate
Margate
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = 22 April 2007

Leslie John "Les" Riggs (born Portsmouth, 30 May 1935) is an English former professional footballer. He made over 350 Football League appearances, his most successful spells being spent with Gillingham and Newport County.

Career

Although born in Portsmouth, Riggs came through the junior ranks with Gillingham and made his league debut in April 1954 at the age of just 18. He went on to make 152 appearances for the Kent club and was noted for his tough tackling and long throw-ins.cite book | first=Roger|last= Triggs | title=The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club| publisher=Tempus Publishing Ltd | year=2001| id=ISBN 0-7524-2243-X|pages=p275]

In 1958 Riggs moved to Newport County for a fee of £1,750, where he again racked up over 100 Football League appearances. In 1961 he was sold to Bury for £750 but could only manage 6 league starts at Gigg Lane due to injury before a move to Crewe Alexandra in 1963. Eighteen months later he returned to Gillingham, who were strengthening their side after promotion to Division Three, and made 18 further appearances for the Gills.

In October 1965 Riggs joined non-league Ramsgate as player-manager and later spent more than five years as manager of their near-neighbours Margate. [ [http://www.margatefchistory.co.uk/riggsboss.htm History of Margate FC website] ]

After leaving football in 1977 Riggs ran a guest house and later opened a sporting goods shop in Cliftonville which still bears his name. [ [http://www.locallife.co.uk/thanet/sportseqandcloth3.asp Locallife: Thanet] ] He is now retired and living in Broadstairs.

References