FORMER Ipswich Town player Vic Snell has died at home in South Africa. He was 73.Originally an amateur, he signed as a professional in May, 1949, and on October 1 that year he made his senior debut against Nottingham Forest at Portman Road.

FORMER Ipswich Town player Vic Snell has died at home in South Africa. He was 73.

Originally an amateur, he signed as a professional in May, 1949, and on October 1 that year he made his senior debut against Nottingham Forest at Portman Road.

Defender Vic went on to clock up 68 first team appearances, scoring twice. He eventually left Town in the summer of 1963 and emigrated to South Africa.

In his last two seasons with Ipswich he was responsible for running the club's 'A' team, a nursery side introduced by then manager Alf Ramsey.

"Mr Ramsey put the proposition to me and told me to think it over for a week," he said after his appointment. "I didn't bother – I accepted on the spot."

As a player, Suffolk-born Vic was a regular in Town's reserve side, registering his 300th Combination appearance in the 1957-58 season.

His best campaign as a first team player came right at the end of his career, when he played 40 times in the 1958-59 season.

Vic's last senior outing was on April 30, 1959, in a 1-0 home win over Sheffield United.

In the 1956-57 campaign, he made 11 league appearances as Ipswich pipped Torquay on goal average for the Third Division (South) crown.

Vic was also an enthusiastic

cricketer, representing William Brown's along with Town colleague Dai Rees and he also coached the firm's football team.