Ex-Latics star’s mum dies at 100

TOASTING her birthday milestone last November: Alice Chapman, who has died aged 100, with her son Les

THE mum of former Latics star Les Chapman has died just months after reaching her 100th birthday.

Alice Chapman appeared in the Chronicle with Les - a Chronicle sports columnist - in November to celebrate her birthday milestone, but became ill a month ago. She died with her son at her side at Stoneswood residential home in Delph on April 5.

“She was remarkable for her age and had a great sense of humour,” said Les. “She’d had a very tough life when she was growing up and she was a true battler, in every sense of the word.”

Alice was born in Watersheddings and married her late husband James, who died in 1975, at Moorside Church in 1936. The had sons Les and the late Robert.

The couple ran a chip shop in Ripponden Road in the Forties, then a grocer’s shop in Royton.

Alice was proud of Les’s footballing achievements: he made 749 appearances in a league career that spanned 22 seasons from 1966 for Oldham, Huddersfield Town, Stockport County, Bradford City, Rochdale and Preston North End. He also went on to manage Stockport and Preston.

“She used to come and watch me all over the country,” said Les.

Les went on to become the kit manager at Manchester City and now works for the club’s media department.

“She even came to the Gillingham match at Wembley in 1999 when City won the play-off final,” said Les. “In the stand after the game she got three different proposals of marriage from ecstatic fans!”

Alice also leaves grandchildren Tiffany and Suzanne, and two great-grandchildren, Phoebe and Elizabeth.

The funeral will be at Oldham Crematorium on April 18 (11am).