TRIBUTES have been flooding in today following the death of former Colchester United coach Adrian Webster.

Adrian died in the early hours of this morning at the age of 72, following a brave battle with Motor neurone disease.

Adrian's professional football career spanned 50 years and saw him play alongside the legends of soccer, before forging a successful coaching career both in Essex and abroad.

 

He enjoyed a long and successful career within football, with his playing days taking him to the United States where he shone for Seattle Sounders, playing against the likes of Pele, George Best and Bobby Moore.

A social media post from Adrian's family read: 'It is with great sadness that we have to inform you all that in the early hours of this morning Adrian passed peacefully in his sleep and lost his battle with MND. He was a loving Husband, Dad, Grandad and friend to so many. He truly was a legend and will be greatly missed by all.'

Adrian grew up watching his home town team Colchester United at Layer Road with his father and he joined his hometown team as a youngster in the late 1960s, having been spotted playing for the Colchester and District representative team.

After leaving the U's, he joined Vancouver Spartans where he linked up with former Colchester player Bobby Cram before joining Seattle Sounders.

Adrian ended up skippering the side and playing both with and against legendary figures in the North American Soccer League (NASL) and in 1977, along with playing in the prestigious Soccer Bowl Final in Portland, against New York Cosmos.

He spent six seasons with the Sounders before leaving to join Pittsburgh Spirit, at the end of the 1979 NASL season before moving on to become coach at Phoenix, where he stayed for seven years.

 

Ade eventually returned to England in 1991 and had spells in charge of Brightlingsea and Halstead Town before in 1993, things came full circle.

He was offered a full-time job in youth development at Colchester United, 25 years after first joining them as an apprentice professional after leaving school.

Ade ended up spending 13 years back at his old club, working as the Soccer Centre Manager, Recruitment Officer, Youth Development Officer, Centre Of Excellence Manager and under-16 coach, in addition to the club shop at Layer Road.

Gazette:

While serving as the U’s Soccer Centre Manager, he launched a successful Soccer Kids programme, working on a daily basis with more than 750 children after securing funding to install astroturf, boards and floodlights.

He moved onto coaching at the Colne College in Brightlingsea in 2006 with fellow former U's player Micky Cook and also coached at the likes of Brightlingsea Regent and FC Clacton.

Adrian wrote seven books for charity, over the years and in an interview with the Gazette in September, he spoke about his passion for coaching.

He said: “I don’t think I’ve ever put myself on a pedestal.

“Whoever I’ve coached, I’ve always tried to do it to the best of my ability.

“I do miss the football, not being able to be involved.

“If I didn’t have this, I know where I’d be - over on the football pitch, coaching.”

 

At the end of September, ‘An Evening with Ade’ took place at the JobServe Community Stadium, providing an opportunity for him to see a host of old friends and raise money for charity.

Former U's players Sammie Szmodics, Alex Gilbey, Craig Fagan and Anthony Wordsworth are among the many to have paid tribute to Adrian, after news of his death was announced.