1994–95 in English Football - Deaths

Deaths

• 5 August 1994 – Terry Hibbitt, 46, who died of cancer, started his career at Leeds United under Don Revie in 1963 and made 63 league appearances, scoring 11 goals, before his transfer to Newcastle United in 1971, being in their midfield for the 1974 FA Cup final defeat to Liverpool. Signed for Birmingham City in 1975 before returning to Newcastle in 1978 and staying on Tyneside until 1981, when he ended a professional career which had spanned 18 years and 401 league games. Remained active at non-league level with Gateshead until 1986, briefly managing the club.

• 23 August 1994 – Joe Loughran, 79, played 268 league games at centre-half between 1933 and 1953 for Birmingham City, Luton Town, Burnley and finally Southend United, his career being disrupted by World War II.

• 3 September 1994 – Billy Wright, 70, captain of Wolverhampton Wanderers and England during the 1950s. At club level won three league championships and two F.A Cups. Was Arsenal manager from 1962 to 1966 but had little success. Made history as England's (and the world's) first 100-cap player.

• 23 September 1994 – Johnny Berry, 68, Manchester United winger from the 1950s who was forced to retire after being severely injured in the Munich Air Disaster. After retiring as a player, he ran a sports shop in Aldershot with his brother Peter.

• 9 October 1994 –
  • - Raich Carter, 80, was capped 13 times for England and score seven times before and after the Second World War as an inside-forward. He was also an FA Cup winner with Sunderland in 1937 and Derby County in 1946. He later managed Hull City, Cork Athletic, Leeds United, Mansfield Town and finally Middlesbrough before he retired from football in 1966.
  • - Idris Hopkins, 83, was capped 12 times on the right wing for Wales in the 1930s and played 272 league games for the Brentford side of the 1930s and 1940s which played in the First Division. Died in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, two days before what would have been his 84th birthday.

• 2 November 1994 – Harold Pearson, 86, kept goal for West Bromwich Albion when they won the F.A Cup in 1931 and played once for England.

• 30 December 1994 – Geoff Bradford, 67, centre-forward for Bristol Rovers for his entire career, scored 242 league goals for the West Country club and became the club's only ever full England international when he won his solitary cap against Denmark in 1955.

• 2 January 1995 – Ian Frodsham, 19, who died of cancer, was a Liverpool midfielder who had turned professional some 18 months before his death after playing in the Anfield club's youth side, although he never played a first-team game for them.

• 26 January 1995 – Vic Buckingham, 79, played 204 league games at wing-half for Tottenham Hotspur between 1935 and 1949. Moved into management in 1950 and over the next 30 years managed clubs including Bradford Park Avenue, West Bromwich Albion, Ajax Amsterdam (twice), Fulham, Sheffield Wednesday and FC Barcelona.

• 30 January 1995 – George Poyser, 84, was manager of Notts County from 1953 and 1957 before joining Manchester City as assistant manager, becoming manager in place of Les McDowall on the club's relegation to the Second Division in 1963. He was sacked two years later with promotion still yet to be achieved.

• 8 February 1995 – Jimmy Allen, 85, was a centre-half for Portsmouth and Aston Villa in the 1930s and was capped twice by England. Managed Colchester United from 1948 to 1953, during which time they were elected to the Football League.

• 11 March 1995 – Sonny Feehan, 68, who was born in Dublin, played 12 league games in goal for Manchester United during the early Matt Busby era, later playing for Northampton Town and Brentford.

• 1 April 1995 – Johnny Nicholls, 63, was a forward in West Bromwich Albion's FA Cup winning side of 1954, the same year that he won two England caps. Remained at the Black Country club until 1957, by which time he had played 131 league games and scored 58 goals, and signed for Cardiff City and then played his last league game at 28 for Exeter City before finishing his playing career in non-league football.

• 6 May 1995 – Noel Brotherston, 38, who died of a heart attack, was a striker for Northern Ireland who played for clubs including Blackburn Rovers and Bury. He retired from playing in 1988.

• 20 May 1995 – Leslie Smith, 77, started his playing career with Brentford in their First Divion days of the late 1930s and won his only England senior cap in 1939. Signed for Aston Villa after World War II and played 181 games for the midlands club, before returning to Brentford for the 1952-53 season and then finishing his career at non-league level with Kidderminster Harriers as player-manager. Later scouted for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

• 23 May 1995 – Joe Walter, 99, inside-forward who played for Bristol Rovers, Huddersfield Town and Blackburn Rovers. Won a league championship with Huddersfield in 1924. At the time of his death, he was believed to be the oldest former professional footballer in England.

• 30 May 1995 – Ted Drake, 82, played as a centre forward for Arsenal before the Second World War and managed Chelsea to league championship glory in 1955.

• 30 May 1995 – Bobby Stokes, 44, former Southampton striker who scored the winning goal in the 1976 FA Cup Final when Southampton defeated Manchester United 1–0.