POPULAR Gloucestershire footballer and former Forest Green Rovers star Dave Wiffill last week called time on his latest appointment in the game.

Wiffill has been managing County League side Thornbury Town for the past three years, but has left the club to take a break from football.

One of the most successful non-league players to emerge from the area during the 1970s, Wiffill grew up in Thornbury and saw out his playing days at his home town club before taking over as manager.

His three years at the helm, alongside joint manager Steve Burbage, brought Town the Bristol Combination title and took them up into the County League, where they have consolidated over the past two seasons, at times pressing for honours.

This season they finished in seventh place and also won the Stroud Charity Cup.

Wiffill is still fondly remembered from his Forest Green days, playing at The Lawn during the brief period in the late 1980s when the club temporarily changed its name to Stroud FC.

He played for the club under former managers Jeff Evans and Bobby Jones, and alongside players such as Martyn Grimshaw, who is now manager at Mangotsfield United.

His cultured midfield playmaking made him a popular figure among Rovers fans, and he spent two years at The Lawn.

In all, Wiffill has had a chequered career. He was offered an apprenticeship at Bristol City at the age of 16 but declined so he could take his A Levels, though he played reserve team football for them.

Then it was off to Frome Town where he was involved with the team that won the Western League under manager Bob Boyd. It was at Frome that he was converted from a midfielder into a centre forward.

A move to Bath followed in 1979 and after three months he was sold to Manchester City for £50,000 - at that time the highest fee paid for a non-league player, and a record that stayed in place for a number of years.

He played for City's reserve team, though he did make the bench for the firsts on a couple of occasions.

The highlight at this time was a tour to America to play in a competition involving Vancouver Whitecaps, New York Cosmos and Memphis Rogues.

He remained with Manchester City under legendary manager Malcolm Allison until John Bond took over, before jetting off to Hong Kong where he spent an enjoyable four years playing for Happy Valley.

Then it was back to Blighty and Bristol Rovers under Gerry Francis. "I did not play too well and was not really enjoying it so I took a break from football during 1987," said Wiffill.

A move to Gloucester City followed, then a trial for a Dutch first division team was offered where he would have been playing alongside Aston Villa icon Tony Morley if the move had come off.

"But it fell through when I broke my jaw," said Wiffill, "and I returned to Bath City for a couple of seasons before spending two years with Stroud (now Forest Green)."

A move to Thornbury followed, as a player for eight years before taking over as manager, with Steve Burbage assisting and then coming on board as joint manager.

Wiffill was full of praise for Burbage, saying: "Steve has had much input and involvement in running the side and he is a great motivator."

With a record such as his, you can forgive Dave Wiffill for feeling that a break from football is now in order.

"I am of an age now," said Wiffill, 45, "when there are other priorities in my life but I would like to think I will be involved again some time in the future and feel I'm leaving the club with an excellent squad of players, blending experience with youth."