Tributes pour in for former Telford teacher
Tributes have been paid to a former Telford teacher and youth football coach who has died.
Malcolm Webster, died on Monday after a two-year battle with cancer, family and friends said.
The 58-year-old had a lifelong career in teaching and developing children's sport.
Luke Shelly, AFC Telford's academy manager, led the tributes. He said: "Malcolm has done so much for the club over the years, more than I could even explain really.
"He's been involved at Telford since before they went bust in 2004, well over 25 years.
"We only found out about two weeks ago his cancer was terminal, so it's all come as quite a shock."
Mr Webster was also the treasurer for Telford & Wrekin's U11 National team for more than a decade.
"He was loved here at the club and always went over and above what he needed to do to help support the youth", he added.
"It's a great loss, players have broken through and progressed in their career because of him. There's no doubt he will be missed."
As well as the work he did for AFC Telford, Mr Webster also spent years teaching sport and music in primary schools, and giving English lessons to refugee children throughout Telford.
One of the schools still seeing the benefit of Mr Webster's work, is Hollinswood Primary School, where he had been teaching since the mid 1980s, leaving in 2008.
Glen Atkinson, headteacher at Hollinswood, said: "Malcolm worked tirelessly for this school and all schools around Telford.
"The time he gave up freely around sport and music helped so many. He sorted all the football leagues on the school circuit and ideas he had are still influencing people today.
"He taught PE here and ran after school football and cricket clubs, as well as leading an intergenerational school band where he taught students to play.
"He affected the lives of hundreds of students over the years, and we've had parents of current students that he taught years ago ring up and pay their tributes."
Mr Webster was also the vice chairman of St. George's Cricket Club where he used to play.
"Every year he came back to the school to find out about how Hollinswood was doing, he was a man who really cared", he added.
"I really don't think anyone had a bad word to say about him."
