Percy James gave a lifetime of service to sport in Oxfordshire, writes Henrietta Richards.

The quietly-spoken Welshman was best known as a player and coach for Oxford City Football Club, but he excelled in other sports too.

He represented the county in football, cricket and table tennis. He came to Oxford from his native South Wales at the age of 14 and worked at the Pavlova leather works at Abingdon and Morris Radiators in Oxford.

But sport was already shaping his life.

At the White House ground, Oxford City's headquarters off Abingdon Road, he played alongside such players as Alf Jefferies, Alec Blakeman, Tony Harper, Cliff Nugent and Cliff Horton, all of whom went on to be professionals.

Percy captained City and while at the club, won Welsh amateur international honours. Later, he turned professional with Luton Town and from 1950-54, was player manager of the Southern League side, Worcester City.

When he rejoined Oxford City as coach in 1954, the club's fortunes were at a low ebb. They had had to apply for re-election three seasons running, and had been warned by the Isthmian League to raise their playing standards - or else.

In his 13 years in charge, the team finished in the top six in the league six times, won the Oxfordshire Senior Cup seven times and in 1966, reached the FA Cup First Round for the first time since 1933.

He stood down in 1967 because of increasing demands of his job as assistant manciple at St Edmund Hall. In an interview reflecting on his career in 1985, he named several players who had served the club well during his time as coach - Tony Bricknell, Bernie Harris, Arthur Howlett, Peter Slade, John Shippey, Doug Buswell, Tony Bradbury, John Woodley and Ron Goodison.

Percy died in 1993, but his period as coach at the White House is still regarded as one of the club's best.