Stephen Clemence will forever be grateful to Chelsea legend Frank Lampard’s consoling words after he lost his dad, goalkeeping icon Ray.

The Barrow boss was assistant to Steve Bruce at Newcastle when former England international Ray Clemence passed away aged 72 on November 15, 2020. The Toon took on Chelsea at St James’ Park just six days later.

Touchingly, then-Blues chief Lampard went to find Clemence during the warm-up and embraced him.

In an exclusive SunSport interview ahead of taking his League Two side to Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup tonight, Clemence said: “It was a class thing from Frank. He came to say sorry for my loss.

“Frank lost his mum, so knows how it feels to lose a parent. I’ll be forever grateful for his kind words at St James’ Park. It shows what a  class man he is.”

Stephen Clemence's Football Journey

Clemence, 46, was born while his dad was playing for Liverpool in his 1970s pomp and was the perfect role model for the youngster growing up. And not only did it put him in good stead for his own playing career — where he appeared for Tottenham, Birmingham and Leicester in the Prem — but also in coaching where he worked predominantly for Steve Bruce at Sunderland, Hull, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle and West Brom.

Now he is in his second frontline job — having managed Gillingham in League Two before being sacked by owner Brad Galinson for failing to get the club promoted in his six months. His dad — who also played for Spurs — was a manager in the lower leagues and took charge of Barnet  in the fourth tier.

The Importance of Hard Work

Clemence said: “The biggest lesson my dad taught me was grafting.

“I was lucky to have been blessed with some talent but would never have gone on to have my career in the Premier League without doing all the hard yards. Dad was a very successful footballer but I was way too young to remember a lot.

“But when he worked for Tottenham and the FA — and managed Barnet — that was when I got real insight into all the work he had to do.

“It was relentless. It was only then that I understood how much of a grafter he was. That is the blueprint I use to this day.”

The Challenges of Football Management

Clemence has learned one harsh reality — managers have a short shelf life, with club owners more impatient than ever before. He barely had time to take off his coat at Gills before Galinson pulled the trigger. But the ex-midfielder holds no animosity towards his former employer.

He said: “I left them on good terms and I am grateful they gave me my first opportunity because it’s not easy when a job comes up because there’s always 150 applicants.

“It was completely different from being No 2. I worked with Steve Bruce for 13 years and had wanted to step up for a while.

“But once I took over at Gillingham, I phoned him after four or five games and said, ‘Jesus Christ, I’ve a lot more respect for you now for doing this for over 1,000 games’.

“In most jobs, you get an appraisal once a year — but in football you get it twice a week, Tuesday and Saturday.

“And on social media, it’s non-stop. But it’s largely been enjoyable. I always gave Steve my opinions, sometimes he listened while others he did what he wanted. Rightly so.

“Yet I just felt I wanted to be the one who has the final say.”

Barrow's Journey to Stamford Bridge

Clemence took charge of Barrow in May, signing a two-year deal. The Cumbria club is a out on a limb on the Furness peninsula. So much so that the team trains in Greater Manchester to attract more players. But the owners are ambitious and want to take the club — who were in the National League 4½ years ago — to the next level.

And their boss said: “Where the club has come from in the last five years is fantastic. I must mention the owners, who have come in and saved the club.

“It’s a great town, everyone is so friendly. We’ve sold 2,500 tickets for Stamford Bridge and, when you consider our average home crowd is 3,500, that is absolutely fantastic.”

Clemence never beat Chelsea as a player — although he was Newcastle No 2 when Isaac Hayden’s late strike did it four years ago. But tonight will be a tall order against the West London giants. He said: “It’ll be tough  but Bradford went  there a few years ago and turned them over. So you’ve got to believe.”

A Moment to Remember

Barrow head coach Stephen Clemence has paid tribute to Chelsea legend Frank Lampard for going out of his way to offer his condolences after the death of his late father, Ray. Clemence, 46, was the assistant coach at Newcastle when his father sadly passed away at the age of 72 back in 2020. Ray was a goalkeeping icon and his son also played professionally before moving into management last year. He takes his Barrow side to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night in the third round of the Carabao Cup and recalled how Lampard - who was in charge of the Blues at the time - sought him out to personally pay his condolences prior to a Premier League match after the loss of his dad. “It was a class thing from Frank. He came to say sorry for my loss,” Clemence told The Sun. “Frank lost his mum, so knows how it feels to lose a parent. I’ll be forever grateful for his kind words at St James’ Park. It shows what a class man he is.”

Clemence took over at Barrow back in the summer after a brief stint at Gillingham and has overseen their fine start to the season. The Bluebirds head to SW6 in midweek flying high at the top of League Two after winning five of their opening seven league games. The League Cup was won by Clemence Sr during his illustrious playing career from his time at Liverpool and his son will have the vociferous backing of over 2,500 Barrow fans when his team attempt to upset the odds on Tuesday night. Barrow have gone from strength-to-strength since ending a 48-year exile from The EFL with promotion back in 2020 and Clemence paid tribute to the club's top brass on the eve of their big cup tie in the capital. He said: “Where the club has come from in the last five years is fantastic. I must mention the owners, who have come in and saved the club. “It’s a great town, everyone is so friendly. We’ve sold 2,500 tickets for Stamford Bridge and, when you consider our average home crowd is 3,500, that is absolutely fantastic.” When he was pressed on their prospects of completing a famous cup upset, Clemence added: “It’ll be tough but Bradford went there a few years ago and turned them over. So you’ve got to believe.”