Obituary: Oxford United legend Micky Lewis fulfilled every role for his club

Tributes from across the football community poured in when Mr Lewis died aged 56 last month after a short battle with lung cancer.

Current players, former players, coaches and colleagues are expected to attend his funeral today.

Micky Lewis was born in Birmingham on February 15, 1965.

Read again: Oxford United legend Micky Lewis in recent years

His father was a bus driver then a postman while his mother was a secretary and then worked for St John’s Ambulance.

Micky was the youngest of three brothers - Steve was the oldest brother and Pete the second oldest.

Micky grew up in Birmingham, initially in Foxhollies, then in Bromford Bridge and then Hall Green.

He attended Chilcote Primary school from 1970 to1976, then Moseley Grammar School.

Micky Lewis

He played for Olson Ravens FC Sunday League Team where he was seen by West Bromwich Albion.

He was 15 when he signed for the club’s youth team and was the youngest player at the time to debut for the first team in a League Cup match.

He was once on TV for being a professional footballer who caught two buses to get across Birmingham to get to training. He signed for Derby County in 1984, then signed for Oxford United in 1988.

Read more: Oxford United's Micky Lewis honoured with applause

He made his debut in a 1-1 draw at Leeds United in the old Division Two on August 27, 1988.

The tough-tackling midfielder was a fixture throughout the early 1990s, helping the U’s to promotion from the third tier in 1995/96.

Mr Lewis’ playing career effectively ended that year and he became youth-team coach, but he was recalled in August 1999 due to an injury crisis.

He was appointed caretaker boss when Malcolm Shotton left two months later, taking charge of 22 games before the appointment of Denis Smith the following February.

Micky Lewis with Chris Wilder

In an eventful season, Mr Lewis also managed United’s reserves and played what proved to be his final game on February 19, 2000, a 2-1 win at Chesterfield in the third tier.

He left in November of that year and had spells at Oxford City and Banbury United, before returning to the Kassam Stadium in May 2007 as youth-team coach.

Mr Lewis was assistant to Chris Wilder when United returned to the Football League in 2010.

He fulfilled almost every role imaginable during his association with Oxford United.

Read again: U's fans and ex-players remember Micky Lewis

He spent time as youth-team coach, assistant manager and even stand-in physio in August 1999, while he sometimes drove the team bus to matches.

It made him a hugely popular figure with players, staff and fans alike.

When Mr Lewis moved to Oxfordshire in 1988 at first he lived in Banbury. He met Suzanne Thompson in 2001 and they married in 2004.

After they got together they lived in Chinnor, Watlington, and Misson, Doncaster, before returning to Oxfordshire to live in Wootton-by-Woodstock. Son Zach was born in 2012.

Mr Lewis loved spending time with his family and didn't have much time outside football for hobbies.

Micky Lewis coaching players

But when he did, he enjoyed music, holidays, history - exploring and visiting museums and different places of interests - reading, theatre and spending time with friends.

Mr Lewis coached the Oxford University side on a part-time basis for 18 years from 2002, in a period where they lost the iconic Varsity Match to Cambridge just three times inside 90 minutes.

He was also head coach of Oxford City's Velocity football and education programme.

After returning to Oxfordshire, Mr Lewis did several jobs to make ends meet, juggling between coaching for various teams and driving jobs, including for the Oxford Mail. He died on March 5.