Denis Thwaites

Denis Thwaites
Personal information
Full name Denis Thwaites[1]
Date of birth (1944-12-14)14 December 1944[2]
Place of birth Stockton-on-Tees, England
Date of death 26 June 2015(2015-06-26) (aged 70)[2]
Place of death Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia
Position(s) Outside left
Youth career
1960–1961 Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1961–1972 Birmingham City 86 (18)
International career
England Schools
1961–1963 England Youth
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Denis Thwaites (14 December 1944 – 26 June 2015) was an English professional footballer who made 86 appearances in the Football League for Birmingham City. He represented England at schoolboy and youth level. He played as an outside left.

Life and career

Thwaites was born and raised in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.[2] As a youngster, he was a member of the Stockton Schools team that reached the semifinal of the English Schools' Shield in 1960,[3] represented his county at under-15 level,[4] and played several times for England Schoolboys. In April 1960, he created a goal for Bill Atkinson in a 3–0 defeat of Wales Schools;[5] a few weeks later, the favour was returned in a 5–3 win against the Scottish Schools XI, when "England scored within 30 seconds of the start, the ball flowing sweetly from right to left, for Atkinson's centre to be summarily despatched into the net by Thwaites".[6]

He joined First Division club Birmingham City as a 15-year-old in 1960,[7] and made his first-team debut a year later, standing in for Bertie Auld in a League Cup loss to Swindon Town in September 1961.[8] He also featured for England Youth between 1961 and 1963.[9][10][11] He turned professional in May 1962, and played in several First Division matches at the start of the 1962–63 season, displacing Auld from the side.[12][13] However he was only a first-team regular for an 18-month spell between 1964 and 1966, and suffered badly from nerves while playing.[14][15] His last appearance for the first team came in the 1970–71 season,[16] and he retired from professional football in 1972 at the relatively young age of 27.[7] He then had a brief stint with the Solihull-based Rover Company's team playing in the Birmingham Works League.[2]

Thwaites was married to Elaine Stanley, a hairdresser.[17] The couple moved to Blackpool where they raised their daughter, Lindsey,[17] and where Thwaites worked as a hospital porter.[2] A nephew, Steve Lilwall, played League football for West Bromwich Albion.[2][18] While on holiday in Port el Kantaoui, Tunisia, in June 2015, Thwaites and his wife were among those murdered in the Sousse attacks.[17] A minute's silence was held in their memory on 1 August 2015 before Birmingham City's friendly game against Leicester City at St Andrew's.[19]

References

  1. ^ "Denis Thwaites". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Shaw, Phil (2 July 2015). "Denis Thwaites: Fast and skilful footballer who played for Birmingham City and was murdered in a terrorist attack in Tunisia". The Independent. London. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Stockton Schoolboys Football Team – 1960". Picture Stockton. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  4. ^ "Results and Players 1950–51 to 1959–60". Durham County Schools Football Association. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Welsh schoolboys no match for the English". The Times. London. 11 April 1960. p. 4.
  6. ^ "Scots schoolboys fight back". The Times. London. 2 May 1960. p. 5.
  7. ^ a b Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  8. ^ Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. p. 197.
  9. ^ Evans, Willie (22 November 1962). "Alf looks to the future". Daily Mirror. London. p. 31.
  10. ^ Smith, Tommy (2009). Anfield Iron. Bantam. p. 67. ISBN 9780553819250.
  11. ^ Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. p. 249.
  12. ^ "Quick promotion". Liverpool Echo. 1 September 1962. p. 13. Birmingham City outside left Denis Thwaites has not had long to wait for his big chance. Aged 17, and a full time professional only since May, Thwaites has ousted former Scottish international Bertie Auld from City's team.
  13. ^ Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. p. 198.
  14. ^ "RIP Denis Thwaites". Birmingham City F.C. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  15. ^ Authi, Jasbir (30 June 2015). "Ex-Birmingham City player Denis Thwaites and his wife confirmed dead in Tunisian terror attacks". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  16. ^ Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. p. 206.
  17. ^ a b c Cross, Charlotte (26 January 2017). "Tunisia Inquests: Elaine and Denis Thwaites". ITV News. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  18. ^ "Steve Lilwall". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  19. ^ "Tunisia attack: Minute's silence for Denis Thwaites". BBC News. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  • Denis Thwaites at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database