Peter Higham (1930 – 2026)

Their Story

Peter Higham was an English footballer who played as a forward during a career spanning nearly two decades across multiple clubs. Born in Wigan on 8 November 1930, he began his playing career as an amateur for Portsmouth in 1950 while serving with the Royal Marines. Though he made just one appearance for Portsmouth, he went on to enjoy over a decade of professional league football with Preston North End, Nottingham Forest, and Bolton Wanderers, before transitioning to non-league sides including his hometown Wigan Athletic, Buxton, and Mossley. Higham's most successful years came at Nottingham Forest, where he scored 20 goals in 61 appearances and was part of the side that won promotion to the First Division in 1957, for which he received an engraved watch. After retiring from professional football at 37, he built a diverse career as a coach abroad, working in America, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and earned his FA coaching badge. He later studied at Chorley College and worked as a teacher of physical education and mathematics, and subsequently as a lecturer working with vulnerable populations. Higham remained remarkably active throughout his life, maintaining strict exercise routines and mental discipline well into his later years. He passed away on 3 July 2026 at the age of 95.