Alan Boswell facts for kids

Alan Henry Boswell (born 8 August 1943 – died 24 August 2017) was an English football goalkeeper. He played in 479 league and cup games during his 12-year career in the English Football League.

Alan started his football journey with his hometown club, Walsall, in 1961. He then moved to Shrewsbury Town in 1963, where he played for five years. In 1968, he joined First Division club Wolverhampton Wanderers. The next year, he moved to Bolton Wanderers, and in July 1972, he signed with Port Vale. He left Port Vale in May 1974 and later played for Oswestry Town, where he also became a manager for a short time in 1976.

Playing Career

Starting at Walsall

Alan Boswell began his football career with Walsall, the club in his hometown. He joined them as an amateur player in 1958 and became a professional in 1960. Walsall played in the Second Division (which was the second-highest league in England at the time) during the 1961–62 season.

He was the main goalkeeper for Walsall in the 1962–63 season. That year, the team, known as the "Saddlers," moved down to the Third Division (the third-highest league). After this, Alan decided to move to another club in the same league, Shrewsbury Town.

Time at Shrewsbury Town

Alan joined Shrewsbury Town in 1963. For five years, he was the first-choice goalkeeper for their team. Shrewsbury Town finished in the middle of the league table for a few seasons.

In the 1966–67 season, they almost got promoted, missing out by just a few points. The next season, 1967–68, they finished third, missing promotion by only one point. Alan was a key player for the team during his time there.

Playing for Wolves and Bolton

In 1968, Alan Boswell signed with Wolverhampton Wanderers, often called "Wolves." This was a big move because Wolves played in the First Division, which was the top football league in England.

However, Alan only played in ten games for Wolves during the 1968–69 season. One of these games was a tough 6–0 loss to Liverpool. At the end of that season, he was sold to Bolton Wanderers. Bolton was in the Second Division at the time.

Bolton finished 16th in the 1969–70 season. Sadly, they were relegated to the Third Division in 1970–71 after finishing last. In his final season with Bolton, 1971–72, the team finished seventh in the Third Division.

Moving to Port Vale

In July 1972, Alan joined Port Vale, another team in the Third Division. In his first game on 12 August, he helped the team keep a clean sheet (meaning the other team didn't score) in a draw against Rochdale.

He played regularly for Port Vale for two seasons. During this time, he had some memorable moments. He was sent off (meaning he had to leave the game) for fighting during a match against Swansea Town. He also accidentally put the ball into his own net in a game against his old club, Walsall.

In May 1974, Port Vale's new manager decided to let Alan leave the club for free. He then moved to a non-league team called Oswestry Town. He also took on the role of manager for Oswestry Town for part of the 1976–77 season.

How He Played

Alan Boswell was a goalkeeper who was ahead of his time. He used to warm up outside the goal area before games. This was unusual back then, but it became a normal practice for goalkeepers later on.

He also bought his own football kit and wore gloves, which was not common for goalkeepers at that time. Most goalkeepers didn't wear gloves, so Alan was quite unique in his approach to the game.

Life After Football

After he stopped playing football, Alan Boswell started a new career. He ran a newsagent's shop in Shrewsbury. He also found success in the pool table business.

Alan was married to Rosalind, and they had twin daughters. They also had another daughter, Faye Turney. Alan Boswell passed away on 24 August 2017.

Career Statistics

Here is a summary of Alan Boswell's playing career: