http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/springett-dies.html
and Alan Hodgkinson played for United, Sheffield that is.
Eddie Hopkinson was the Bolton goalie (FOR 500+ times), Gil Merrick played at Birmingham (nearly 500 times) and then there was Frank Swift, Bert Williams, Reg Matthews; the list went on!
The suddenly Gordon Banks appeared in the 1960s.
One of the great custodians prior to the Banks revolution, in the 50s and 60s, was Alan Hodgkinson, who died last week at the age of 79. His life was celebrated at the weekend, especially with his Blades fans.
Born in Yorkshire at Laughton Common, a mining community, he began his career in the Rother Valley and played for Worksop Town. He was eventually coach to the Scottish national side but spent a lot of his time introducing the concept of a "goalkeeping coach" to clubs, who did not seem to take that position seriously.
As coach to Scotland and being an Englishman, he was once asked by the Queen whom did he support and he replied "Who ever pays my wages, Mam."
He wore a kilt on the pitch before the World Cup match with Brazil in France 1998, so he was loyal to which ever team he worked with.
At 5'9", he was not blessed with height, but he was very agile and clever. Goalkeeping has much to do with decision making and angles, so physique was not that important.
He was in the England squad for the 1958 and 1962 World Cups but never played. He was assistant manager at Gillingham in 1971, he mentored Andy Goram, scouted Peter Schmeichel, educated Steve Ogrizovic in 2002 at Coventry and was made MBE in 2008. Some c.v.
Alan had previously suffered from heart problems and after having a quadruple heart bypass at the age of 60, a month later he was in Moscow with the Scottish side.
He finally retired at Oxford United at the age of 76 in 2012.
Alan a young cousin at home in Sheffield.
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