As a manager his style of play was hard and uncompromising, but the man himself was known in footballing circles as a friendly giant.
Keith Alexander was one of football‘s good guys. Not just a football manager - as the the first full-time black manager of a professional football club in England, Alexander was also a pioneer for black managers everywhere. Everybody liked and respected the man - so much so you’d be hard-pressed to hear a bad word about him.
Indeed, well-wishers have been bombarding websites and messageboards with tributes to the man affectionately known as ‘Big Keef’ - much like his teams would bombard the opposition with long balls forward.
Not that his style of play should do him a disservice. Over the years Alexander developed a reputation in the lower leagues for achieving results at clubs with limited budgets, and though it wasn’t always pretty, it was certainly effective.
Take his time at Lincoln City, for instance, where Alexander guided the Imps to the play-offs four times in a row. His famous 3-4-3 formation and long ball tactics won him little respect amongst fellow managers during his tenure at Sincil Bank, but off the field, he was liked and respected by many who graced his presence.
Spells at Peterborough and Bury followed, but his most recent challenge was at Macclesfield Town - where the big man was at it again. Under Alexander’s supervision the Silkmen continued to punch above their weight - as they have for the majority of their tenure in the Football League. Keith Alexander and Macclesfield Town? It seemed like a perfect fit. Not many other managers understood the financial constraints and the difficulties of managing in League Two better than Alexander.
Indeed, he relished a battle - be it on the field or off it. In 2003 a brain aneurysm threatened to cut his managerial career short, but much like the teams he managed, Alexander was big and strong in the face of adversity. It was to his immense credit that he returned to the game so quickly.
You can’t help but take your hat off to him, even if he refused to remove his own cap most of the time. Much like his direct tactics, he was well-known for donning a baseball cap during matches. It was one of the unique traits that endeared him to lower league football fans across the country.
His work off the field was vital. As the longest serving black manager in English football, Alexander was a role model to black managers, though he was a shining example to all aspiring coaches and managers whatever their racial background. From 1993 to the present day, Alexander was rarely out of work.
The final game of the season in League Two sees two of Alexander’s former clubs face off, with Lincoln City taking on Macclesfield Town. As things stand, both teams are embroiled in a relegation battle with their league status on the line. It’s the kind of encounter he would have relished.
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