Gordon West facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gordon West | ||
| Date of birth | 24 April 1943 | ||
| Place of birth | Darfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 10 June 2012 (aged 69) | ||
| Place of death | Brighton-le-Sands, Merseyside, England | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1960–1962 | Blackpool | 33 | (0) |
| 1962–1973 | Everton | 402 | (0) |
| 1976–1979 | Tranmere Rovers | 17 | (0) |
| Total | 452 | (0) | |
| National team | |||
| 1968–1969 | England | 3 | (0) |
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Gordon West (born April 24, 1943 – died June 10, 2012) was a famous English professional football goalkeeper. He played for many years, especially for Everton, and even played for the England national team three times.
Contents
Gordon West's Football Journey
Starting at Blackpool
Gordon West first played football as a defender for local teams like Barnsley. But one day, he went with a friend to a tryout for Blackpool. There, he decided to try playing as a goalkeeper instead.
The club, known as the Tangerines, signed him. Gordon made his first professional appearance for Blackpool when he was just 17 years old. After playing 33 League games for Blackpool, he moved to Everton in March 1962. Everton paid £27,000 for him, which was a record amount for a goalkeeper in Britain at that time. He took over from goalkeeper Albert Dunlop.
Time with Everton
Gordon West quickly became a key player for Everton. In his first full season, 1962–63, Everton won the First Division title. He was Everton's main goalkeeper for over ten years.
He worked closely with the team's captain and central defender, Brian Labone. Together, they helped Everton achieve great success. Gordon won the FA Cup in 1966 and was part of the team that reached the final again in 1968.
In the 1969–70 season, Everton won the league title once more. Gordon West played a huge part, keeping 21 "clean sheets" (meaning he didn't let the other team score any goals in those games). This is still a club record! He played a total of 399 games for the Toffees before retiring in 1973.
Playing for Tranmere Rovers
After three years away from football, Gordon decided to play again. He joined Tranmere Rovers, a team from across the River Mersey from Everton. He played 17 League games for the Wirral club before ending his professional career for good.
Playing for England
Gordon West also played for his country, earning three caps for the England national team. He was even offered a spot in the squad for the 1970 FIFA World Cup, but he chose to stay home with his family instead.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing football, Gordon West worked in security at RAF Woodvale. He also became a popular speaker at events, sharing stories about his football career.
Former Everton and Wales goalkeeper Neville Southall thought Gordon deserved special recognition for his many years of service to Everton. Gordon West lived in Brighton-le-Sands, Merseyside. Sadly, he passed away from cancer on June 10, 2012.
Many people from the football world attended his funeral. This included former players like Martin Buchan, Colin Harvey, Dave Hickson, John Hurst, Cliff Marshall, Peter Reid, George Telfer, Derek Temple, and Tommy Wright. Former player and manager Joe Royle and former chairman Sir Philip Carter also paid their respects.
Honours
Everton
- Football League First Division: 1962–63, 1969–70
- FA Cup: 1965–66; runner-up: 1967–68
- FA Charity Shield: 1963, 1970
