HE was as mad as a box of frogs and had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus.

Tributes have been paid to Tim Balch, one of Dorset football’s most well known personalities, who died last week, aged 53.

Tim, who had been suffering with motor neurone disease, played for and managed a host of clubs across Dorset and Hampshire.

He was responsible for helping form the football section at Bournemouth Sports Club and had been coaching at Cobham Sports until his illness forced him to hang up his boots.

But he will be remembered most for his heroics, exploits and antics as a goalkeeper, his reputation going before him – both on and off the pitch.

One of Tim’s finest hours came when he helped Wimborne Town reach the FA Vase final at Wembley in 1992. His performance in their fourth round replay win at Hastings was memorable in more ways than one.

“We wouldn’t have won the Vase without him,” recalled Magpies manager Alex Pike. “He was superb against Hastings.

“He was also in the thick of the action during one of the funniest things I have ever seen at a football match. The touchline was close to the crowd at Hastings and, as Tim went to take a goal kick, one of their supporters violently pulled his shirt. He jumped into the crowd and, in his own special way, asked them not to do it again. Suffice to say, it didn’t happen again!”

Together with having two spells at Wimborne, Tim also played for Swanage Town & Herston, Bournemouth Sports, Verwood, Cranborne and Ordnance Survey. He also managed some of the clubs he had played for, as well as Poppies, Brockenhurst, Lymington Town, Cobham Sports, Queen’s Keep and Pirelli.

Mark McGrath was Tim’s best friend in footballing circles and assisted him at a number of his clubs.

He said: “Tim was totally passionate about winning. He was a great guy to have on your side and someone you didn’t want to be on the receiving end of.

“He was dedicated to football, he drove his clubs and tried to get the best for them. He would never miss a game or a training session and would never go on holiday during the season.

“He will be a great loss to Dorset football – and especially the Dorset FA because I think his fines probably paid for a lot of their buildings!”

Tim’s wife Carole said: “He lived for his football and it was his life for all those years. I couldn’t ever imagine him giving it up, it gave him up because he couldn’t do it any more and that was the tragedy.

“Everybody had to have some kind of opinion on Tim because he was such a big personality. He was a goalkeeper and they are a breed of their own. Someone who knew him well in football said he was as mad as a box of frogs!”

Tim’s funeral took place yesterday. His family has asked for donations to be sent in his name to the motor neurone disease association.