This section of the site relates to players & officials who have given good service to the club

When it comes to loyalty & dedication to Ibis Football,without doubt Frank Routledge must be the first name on this page.Frank became secratary of the club a few years ago in 1950 when he was a draughtsman at Ibis Works,I suppose being secratary in those days didn't involve all the red tape & paperwork encountered nowadays but not many people had telephones & cars then,so getting in touch with people + getting to matches was much more difficult.The photo on the left was taken in year 2000 & shows Frank(on the left!!) being presented with a momento from the club in appreciation of 50 years service.Frank was also club linesman for all these years untill I managed to drag the flag off him & give it to Alan Gilpin,but any time Alan is unavailable Frank is only too willing to run the line as the right hand photo taken in August 2005 shows.Anyone who knows Frank will think of a mild mannered,calm person who never gets upset,well,I recall a day at Penrith about 15 years ago,we were drawing 1-1 against Eden Athletic,with about 5 minutes to go the ball was kicked over our defence to an Eden forward who was well offside,up went Franks flag,play on says the ref as the player rounds our keeper to score.Frank still has the flag up"I may aswell not be here if you're not going to take any notice"he says,"he was not offside"the ref tells him "poppycock"Frank replies"you're off"anounces the ref as Frank sticks the flag about 6inches into the ground & marches round the pitch,head held high in his famous green running wellies,(but still never swore).Franks service to Ibis FC has been invaluable,whether secretary,treasurer,linesman & speechmaker(who could forget the "person" in a woodpile speech in 2004),long may it continue Frank,a true servant & gentleman.

Don James Ibis Manager..Seniors 1970 to 1987,Juniors 1974 to present

In 1958 aged 23 Don James moved from his home town of Birkenhead to kendal,he first played local football for the Vics(Victoria Sports Club)but as he worked at Burneside Mill he played for the Burneside team before returning to vics as manager in 1967 for two seasons.He also played Sunday league football in 1966 & 67 for kendal County(formerly the spreaders),injury forcing him to retire from playing.Don moved jobs in 1969 & began work at Isaac Braithwaite's factory as a fabricator,taking over as Ibis football manager in 1970,recruiting local players as well as Isaac Braithwaite employees,Ibis were in div 2 at the time(Westmorland League only had 2 divisions).In 1972 Don won his first trophy with the club when Ibis beat Coniston 3-1 in the Junior Cup Final at Staveley,this was soon followed by promotion to the first division.Season 1975/6 proved eventful,Ibis finishing well up in the league,were 2 minutes away from a Senior Cup Final place & won the High Sheriffs Cup beating Appleby 2-1 at Shap(Appleby around this period were the strongest team in the county).In 1987 Don handed in the reigns as Senior manager,but his allegance to Ibis club continued...In 1974 Don had started Ibis juniors,entering a team in the under 12's of the Kent Valley League,from then up to the present day he has managed ,coached & trained probably hundreds of local lads in all age groups of the Junior League.His service to Ibis FC & local football in general can not be over emphasised,a man of very strong principals,he also believed in hard training.I started playing for Don in season 71/72 & have many great memories of good times & good players he brought to the club,this is only a brief over view of his work for football in the Kendal area,for me he carries the ultimate respect,a true legend.