Pavel Srníček facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Pavel Srníček | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 10 March 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ostrava, Czechoslovakia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 29 December 2015 (aged 47) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Ostrava, Czech Republic | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1982 | TJ Viktorie Bohumín | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1982–1985 | TJ ŽD Bohumín | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1987 | Baník Ostrava | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1988 | VTJ Tábor | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1990 | Dukla Prague | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Baník Ostrava | 30 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1998 | Newcastle United | 150 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Baník Ostrava | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Sheffield Wednesday | 44 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Brescia | 32 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Cosenza | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Portsmouth | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | → West Ham United (loan) | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | West Ham United | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Beira-Mar | 63 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Newcastle United | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 342 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2001 | Czech Republic | 49 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Pavel Srníček (born March 10, 1968 – died December 29, 2015) was a football coach and a professional player from the Czech Republic. He played as a goalkeeper.
Pavel played football from 1990 to 2007. He was well-known for playing in the Premier League for Newcastle United. He also played for other English teams like Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, and West Ham United. Outside England, he played in Italy for Brescia and Cosenza, and in Portugal for Beira-Mar. In his home country, he played for Baník Ostrava.
After he stopped playing, Pavel became a goalkeeping coach. He taught at his own school and worked for AC Sparta Prague.
Pavel also played for his country, the Czech Republic, from 1994 to 2001. He played in 49 international matches, called "caps." He helped his team finish second at Euro 96. He was also the main goalkeeper when the Czech Republic came third at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also played in UEFA Euro 2000.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Newcastle United
Pavel Srníček started his career playing for Baník Ostrava in his home country. He played 30 games for them between 1989 and 1991.
In January 1991, he moved to England to play for Newcastle United. The manager, Jim Smith, signed him for £350,000. At first, Pavel had some tough games. In 15 matches, he let in 32 goals.
Later, under manager Kevin Keegan, Newcastle United got much better. They won many games and were promoted to the Premier League in 1993. Pavel became a key player for the team.
In 1994, a new goalkeeper, Mike Hooper, joined the team. He and Pavel competed for the starting spot. In a game against Leicester City in 1994, Pavel was sent off (had to leave the game).
Later, when another goalkeeper, Shaka Hislop, got injured, Pavel returned to the team. He played very well and was even named "man of the match" in a game against Everton in December 1995. Pavel became the longest-serving foreign player for Newcastle United during the 1990s.
He also played in the UEFA Cup for Newcastle. In December 1996, he made an important save and helped his team beat Metz 2–0. This win helped Newcastle reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
Banik and Sheffield Wednesday
In 1998, Pavel went back to his old club, Baník Ostrava, and played six more games.
Soon after, in October 1998, he joined Sheffield Wednesday in England. He played his first game for them against his former team, Newcastle, which ended in a 1–1 draw. In December 1999, he saved two penalties in a game against Aston Villa, but his team still lost 2–1. He left Sheffield Wednesday in June 2000 after the team was moved down from the Premier League.
Playing in Italy
In July 2000, Pavel moved to Italy to play for Brescia. He signed a three-year contract with them. In one game in November 2000, an object was thrown onto the field, causing the game to stop.
Back to England
Pavel joined Portsmouth in the Premier League in September 2003. He played his first game for them in December, a 2–0 loss in the League Cup.
In February 2004, Pavel moved to West Ham United on a short loan. He later joined them permanently. He played a few games for West Ham but left the club at the end of the season.
Playing in Portugal
In the summer of 2004, Pavel trained with a few clubs before joining S.C. Beira-Mar in Portugal. He made his debut for them in September. His team finished last in the league and was moved down to a lower division at the end of the 2004–05 season.
Second Time at Newcastle
Pavel returned to Newcastle United on September 29, 2006. He signed a short contract to help out because their main goalkeeper, Shay Given, was injured. He played again for Newcastle on December 23, 2006, in a 3–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur. The fans gave him a huge welcome. He also started a game against Bolton Wanderers three days later.
After playing two games, his contract was extended until the end of the 2006–07 season. He was released by Newcastle in May 2007, having played no more games for them.
Playing for His Country
Pavel Srníček was part of the Czech Republic squad for Euro 1996, but he was the backup goalkeeper. After that tournament, he became the main goalkeeper and played 15 games in a row for his country. He was the first-choice goalkeeper at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, where the Czech team finished third.
Pavel played in all three of the Czech Republic's games at Euro 2000. He made many saves in their first game against the Netherlands. However, he couldn't stop a late penalty shot, and the Netherlands won 1–0.
Pavel stopped playing for his country in November 2001. This was after his team did not qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He played a total of 49 international games for the Czech Republic between 1994 and 2001.
Coaching Career
Pavel Srníček started his own goalkeeping school in the Czech Republic. Young players from all over the world could learn from his coaching. He also helped out with many charity groups.
On January 4, 2012, Sparta Prague announced that Pavel would join their coaching staff.
Life Outside Football
Pavel Srníček's father was a woodcutter. Pavel himself served in the army when he was younger. In December 2015, he visited Tyneside in England to promote his book, called Pavel is a Geordie.
Sadly, Pavel became very ill on December 20, 2015, while he was jogging. He was taken to a hospital in Ostrava. He passed away nine days later. His funeral was held in his hometown on January 4, 2016. Many people who knew him, including his former Newcastle teammate Steve Harper and Czech teammate Pavel Nedvěd, came to say goodbye.
See also
In Spanish: Pavel Srníček para niños
