Johnny Schofield

John Reginald Schofield (8 February 1931 – 1 November 2006) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Birmingham City and Wrexham.

Johnny Schofield
Personal information
Full name John Reginald Schofield
Date of birth (1931-02-08)8 February 1931
Place of birth Atherstone, England
Date of death 1 November 2006(2006-11-01) (aged 75)[1]
Place of death Coventry, England
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Ansley Hall Colliery
Grendon
194?–1950 Nuneaton Borough
1950–1966 Birmingham City 212 (0)
1966–1968 Wrexham 52 (0)
1967 → Cork Hibernians (loan)
1968–1969 Atherstone Town
1969–1970 Bromsgrove Rovers
1970–1972 Tamworth
Managerial career
1968–1969 Atherstone Town (player-manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Life and career

Schofield was born in Atherstone, Warwickshire, in 1931.[2] He played football for Ansley Hall Colliery, Grendon and Nuneaton Borough[3] before signing a professional contract with Birmingham City in February 1950, and spent the next decade as backup to Gil Merrick.[4] In November 1957, he was injured in an explosion at Baddesley Colliery in Warwickshire, where he worked as a miner, and three years later, he fractured his skull while playing in goal against Manchester United.[5][6] It was in 1959 that Schofield took over as Birmingham's first choice.[7] He played on the losing side in two Inter-Cities Fairs Cup finals, against Barcelona in 1960 and Roma in 1961,[8][9] and for the winners of the 1963 Football League Cup Final against city rivals Aston Villa.[10]

With advancing age and the arrival of Jim Herriot, Schofield lost his place in the Birmingham team, and was transferred to Wrexham in 1966.[2] He lost his place in late 1967, and spent a month on loan at Cork Hibernians of the League of Ireland.[11] In 1968, he became player-manager of Atherstone Town, and also played for Bromsgrove Rovers and Tamworth, before returning to Atherstone as manager.[2] In later life, he ran an off-licence in his home town of Atherstone.[2]

Schofield was married to Grace née Finney; by 1963 the couple had two children.[3] He died in Coventry on 1 November 2006 at the age of 75.[1]

Honours

Birmingham City[2]

References
  1. "Johnny Schofield". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  2. Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  3. From Town to Town: Nuneaton Borough 1958–1970 – Part 1 (PDF). Nuneaton Town Supporters Co-operative. 2015. p. 137.
  4. "Legendary keeper Schofield dies". Birmingham Mail. 3 November 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  5. "Schofield injured in accident". Birmingham Daily Post. 8 November 1957. p. 23. The Birmingham City reserve goalkeeper, Schofield, received multiple lacerations and face and arm burns in an accident at work at Baddesley Colliery yesterday. He was taken to Manor Hospital, Nuneaton, and was stated to be fairly comfortable last night. Schofield lives at Atherstone and has been a miner for some years.
  6. Dick, Brian (20 March 2018). "The day Birmingham City great Johnny Schofield became the bravest Blue of them all". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  7. Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  8. "Blues in Europe part two – 1958–1960". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  9. "Blues in Europe part three – 1960–1962". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  10. "The 1963 League Cup triumph". Birmingham City F.C. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  11. "Goalkeeper on loan". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 13 October 1967. p. 48. Wrexham goalkeeper John Schofield, who was dropped from the first team a fortnight ago, has been loaned for a month to the Irish club, Cork Hibernian.
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