Gordon Astall facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gordon Astall | ||
| Date of birth | 22 September 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | Horwich, England | ||
| Date of death | 21 October 2020 (aged 93) | ||
| Position(s) | Outside right | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Royal Marines | |||
| Southampton | |||
| Bolton Wanderers (trial) | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1947–1953 | Plymouth Argyle | 188 | (42) |
| 1953–1961 | Birmingham City | 235 | (59) |
| 1961–1963 | Torquay United | 33 | (10) |
| Total | 456 | (111) | |
| International career | |||
| 1952 | England B | 1 | (0) |
| 1956 | England | 2 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gordon Astall (born September 22, 1927 – died October 21, 2020) was a talented English professional footballer. He was known for playing as an outside right, which is a forward player who runs down the side of the field. Gordon played for several clubs and even represented his country, England, as well as the England B team. Throughout his club career, he played in 456 games and scored 111 goals.
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Gordon Astall's Football Journey
Gordon Astall was born in Horwich, a town near Bolton, England. He started playing football as an amateur for Southampton. In November 1947, he became a professional player when he signed with Plymouth Argyle. Before this, he had tried out for his local team, Bolton Wanderers, but wasn't successful.
Starting at Plymouth Argyle
Gordon made his first league appearance for Plymouth in February 1948. He quickly became a regular player for the team at their home ground, Home Park. His speed on the wing earned him the nickname "Flash Astall" from the fans. In 1952, he helped Plymouth win the Third Division South title. That same year, he was chosen to play for the England B team.
Moving to Birmingham City
In October 1953, Gordon joined Birmingham City, another team in the Second Division. Birmingham City paid £14,000 for him, and he followed his teammate Alex Govan to St Andrew's. Gordon had played 194 games for Plymouth and scored 43 goals.
At Birmingham, Gordon took over the outside right position. He quickly became a key player for the team. In the 1954–55 season, Birmingham City won the Second Division title. The team also reached the 1956 FA Cup Final in 1956, but they lost 3–1 to Manchester City at Wembley.
Playing for England
Gordon's great performances led to him playing for the full England squad. He scored a goal in his very first game for England against Finland on May 20, 1956. Six days later, he played again in a 3–1 win against West Germany. This was his last game for England.
Gordon also played for Birmingham in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was a European competition. He played in the 1960 final, where Birmingham lost to Barcelona.
Later Career and Retirement
At the end of the 1960–61 season, Gordon moved to Torquay United for free. He had played 271 games for Birmingham and scored 67 goals.
Gordon made his debut for Torquay United on August 19, 1961. He scored 10 goals in 27 league games that season. However, Torquay was relegated to the Fourth Division. He played only six more games the next season before he stopped playing professional football.
After retiring, Gordon settled in the Torbay area. He worked in insurance and also coached a local club called Upton Vale. He enjoyed playing golf in his retirement. Gordon Astall passed away in October 2020 at the age of 93.
Achievements and Awards
Plymouth Argyle
- Third Division South: 1951–52
Birmingham City
- Second Division: 1954–55
- FA Cup finalist: 1955–56
- Inter-Cities Fairs Cup finalist: 1958–60
