Geoff Hickson

Geoff Hickson
Personal information
Full name George Geoffrey Hickson[1]
Date of birth (1939-09-26) 26 September 1939 (age 85)[1]
Place of birth Crewe, England[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1955 Coventry City
1956 Liverpool
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1956–1958 Blackburn Rovers 0 (0)
1959–1961 Stoke City 11 (0)
1962–1968 Crewe Alexandra 105 (0)
1968 → Port Vale (loan) 17 (0)
1968 Southport 3 (0)
1969 → Shrewsbury Town (loan) 0 (0)
1969 Cape Town City
Total 136 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

George Geoffrey Hickson (born 26 September 1939) is an English former football goalkeeper who played in the Football League for Crewe Alexandra, Port Vale, Southport and Stoke City.[1] He won promotion out of the Fourth Division with Crewe in 1962–63. He is one of six post-war players to have played for both the Potteries clubs and Crewe Alexandra.

Career

Hickson was born in Crewe and played as an amateur for Coventry City, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers, before signing a professional contract at Stoke City in 1959.[1] Long-time regular Bill Robertson sustained an injury in the 1959–60 season, and Hickson was drafted in to provide cover.[1] He played ten Second Division matches in December through to March but was dropped after conceding five away at Liverpool and Tommy Younger took his place for the remainder of the season.[1] He played just once more for Stoke, on the final day of the 1960–61 season in a 3–1 win over Liverpool at the Victoria Ground.[1] He joined his hometown club Crewe Alexandra in 1962, and played 43 of the club's 46 Fourth Division games as promotion was achieved in 1962–63. He then featured 30 times in the 1963–64 season, as Jimmy McGuigan's "Railwaymen" were relegated straight back out of the Third Division. He lost his place at Gresty Road under new boss Ernie Tagg, and featured just nine times in the 1966–67 campaign and was completely absent in the 1965–66 and 1967–68 campaigns. He was loaned to Fourth Division side Port Vale in August 1968, as manager Gordon Lee needed cover for the injured Stuart Sharratt.[2] Described as a "part-time, pipe-smoking civil servant", he featured for the "Valiants" in the next twenty matches, but was recalled by Crewe in November that year.[2] He later played for Southport and played three Third Division games for the "Sandgrounders". He also had a loan spell with Shrewsbury Town but did not take to the field at Gay Meadow. He later emigrated to South Africa to play for Cape Town City.

Career statistics

Source:[3]

Club Season Division League FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Stoke City 1959–60 Second Division 10 0 0 0 0 0 10 0
1960–61 Second Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1961–62 Second Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 11 0 0 0 0 0 11 0
Crewe Alexandra 1962–63 Fourth Division 43 0 3 0 0 0 46 0
1963–64 Third Division 27 0 2 0 1 0 30 0
1964–65 Fourth Division 26 0 1 0 0 0 27 0
1965–66 Fourth Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1966–67 Fourth Division 9 0 0 0 0 0 9 0
1967–68 Fourth Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 105 0 6 0 1 0 112 0
Port Vale (loan) 1968–69 Fourth Division 17 0 0 0 0 0 17 0
Southport 1968–69 Third Division 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Career total 136 0 6 0 1 0 143 0

Honours

Crewe Alexandra

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ a b Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 135. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  3. ^ Geoff Hickson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)