My friend Michael Tracey, who has died at the age of 79, lived a full and satisfying life. A talented footballer, Michael represented England at amateur level in the late 1950s. Leaving Corinthian-Casuals for Crook Town in Co Durham, he scored two goals for the latter in the Amateur Cup final in 1959 at Wembley in their 3-2 victory over Barnet. He then turned professional with Luton Town in the old First Division, but his career was cut short by injury in the early 60s.
Changing tack, he began a career as a solicitor and it was in 1969 that I first came across him in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. His commitment to his clients was renowned, and he was always prepared to go the extra mile, dedicated to the pursuit of justice as an expression of his own strong religious and political convictions.
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