Les Fridge


Leslie Francis Fridge is a Scottish former football goalkeeper. He was formerly manager at Nairn County.

Career

A product of the Scottish Highland Football League, Fridge began his senior career with his home town club, Inverness Thistle of the Scottish Highland Football League, and as a 16-year-old played for Inverness Thistle, in goal, in the early 1980s' against Celtic in a Scottish Cup tie at Celtic Park and let in six goals.
He transferred early in his senior career, to Chelsea as a junior in April 1985. He played regularly for the Juniors in 1985-86. A goalkeeper with a good physique, he made his first-team debut for Chelsea in the last game of the 1985-86 season at home to Watford. Chelsea lost 5–1. This game was his first and his last game for Chelsea.
He returned to Scotland and spent six years with St Mirren, before having spells with Clyde, Raith Rovers and Dundalk in Ireland.
After much travelling Fridge soon returned home to sign for Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He spent four years with Caley but struggled to be regular choice at the Caledonian Stadium with the likes of Jim Calder and Nicky Walker to contend with. In 2002, he signed for near neighbours Ross County.
Fridge retired in 2003, and from 2004 to 2016 was manager of nearby Nairn County of the Highland Football League. He was also briefly a coach for Caley Thistle's youth teams.