Stephen Clemence remembers great friend Justin Edinburgh as the Barrow boss follows in his former guide’s footsteps ahead of Gillingham return
- Stephen Clemence and Justin Edinburgh had been friends since their time at Spurs
- Clemence remembers the education he received in Edinburgh before his 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 had forged a friendship on the pitches of Tottenham’s old training grounds at Spurs Lodge and Mill Hill. They played together 27 times for the north London club and found a career in coaching and management after retiring.
Both were managers of Gillingham and when Clemence takes his current side Barrow to Priestfield in League Two on Saturday, Edinburgh will not be far from his thoughts.
Edinburgh, who was in charge of Gills from 2015 to 2017, died in 2019 at the age of 49, five days after suffering cardiac arrest. He had recently led Leyton Orient back to the Football League.
“I had a really good relationship with Justin,” Clemence told Mail Sport. ‘I sat next to him in the dressing room at Tottenham and he was the one who helped me stay grounded when I broke into the first team.
Barrow boss Stephen Clemence (pictured) is remembering his former friend and team-mate Justin Edinburgh
Edinburgh died in 2019 at the age of 49, five days after suffering cardiac arrest
Stephen (right) recalls how Edinburgh previously played under his father and former England goalkeeper Ray Clemence (left)
‘He had played under my father (former England goalkeeper Ray Clemence) so there was a connection there. When I worked with Steve Bruce at Aston Villa, Justin once brought his Orient team to train at Bodymoor Heath.
‘I was talking to him about lower division management at the time and he said the main difference was that what happens between the two boxes doesn’t matter that much. It’s what happens inside them that counts.
‘When I heard the news it was the most shocked I have ever been 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 followed in his father’s footsteps and he said to me, ‘Dad would be proud of you.’
‘I still keep in touch with his wife and son on Instagram and I’m proud of Charlie for the work he has done with defibrillators and CPR training.’
Edinburgh (right) had recently guided Leyton Orient back to the Football League before his shocking death
Edinburgh’s son Charlie (centre) helped set up the Justin Edinburgh 3 Foundation, which has directly saved the lives of two people through the many defibrillators it donated
Charlie helped set up the Justin Edinburgh 3 Foundation, which has directly saved the lives of two people through the many defibrillators she donated, in addition to providing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training.
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 underperformed in leading the club to 12th place.
The first signs are that he is proving them wrong. Barrow’s Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea in midweek could earn the club up to £450,000 and they sit top of League Two – above second-placed Gillingham on goal difference.
Clemence added: “I feel like I left the role too quickly when we were building something, but there’s no animosity from me. It was a kick in the gut to lose my job, but when Barrow called I knew it was right. It’s nice to be back at the top of the table at Gillingham.’