Dave Maclaren

[jupu]

Sorry to start off the new year in a sad note, but former City goalkeeper Dave Maclaren passed away recently at the age of 82.

Dave was City's goalkeeper from August 1967 until late 1968, making 73 appearances as part of the side that won the Southern League First Division. He had previously been a professional with Dundee, Leicester, Plymouth, Wolves and Southampton, completing over 300 appearances in eleven years. He was also a qualified FA coach.

At the start of 1968/69, Dave was offered a position by Wolves as goalkeeping coach. He retired from playing and went onto become National Coach to the Malaysian national side, taking them to the final stages of the Olympic Games in 1972. Dave then moved on to Australia, where he passed away on 6 December 2016. More details about his career here:

www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-dave-maclaren-well-travelled-goalkeeper-and-football-coach-1-4325101

[auldreekie]

This is sad news. As the Scotsman obituary says Dave was in a family of goalkeepers. Four brothers-in-gloves on the books of League clubs; has that ever been equalled? Dave’s nephew, Bruce Maclaren, continued the tradition and was on Aston Villa’s books at one time. Dave’s great nephew Alastair Bray is currently a goalkeeper with Australian A-League club, Melbourne Victory.

A goalkeeper’s lot is a difficult one and Dave found Bill Brown (later Spurs double-winner & Scotland) ahead of him at Dundee and Gordon Banks at Leicester City. However, his first chances at both Leicester and Southampton were as a result of injury to the regular goalkeeper. But it seems he always had an eye on a coaching career gaining his FA coaching qualification while at Wolves. In Worcester he had taken an appointment as a staff coach at Worcester College of Higher Education. In the 1967/68 season City won the Southern League First Division due in no small part to Dave’s sound goalkeeping. He was an ever-present in League matches and City went 24 matches undefeated, at the time a League record.

Normally in researching goalkeepers’ careers you find an unusual tale or two but not in Dave’s case. However, his brothers did not disappoint! Both Jim and Monty played under Bill Shankly. Jim had his ex-Army goalkeeping kit burnt by Shankly but my favourite story is about Monty’s meeting with the great man.

Former Liverpool player George Scott recalled Monty in an “A” team match against Merseyside rivals Everton at the Melwood training ground in 1962. Monty made two bad errors when he failed to hold two easy crosses leading to two goals. Monty must have been dreading half time knowing that Bill Shankly was watching the game. Sure enough in the dressing room Shanks went over to the despondent Monty and George Scott said the great man uttered the immortal words: “Monty, son you are six foot six tall, you are strong with plenty of fitness, intelligence, strength, good character and judgement.” Monty’s spirits rose although slightly surprised at the manager’s praise. However, Shanks had not finished! He told Monty “Son, you have everything it takes to make a bloody great policeman and catch lots of crooks, but you will never be a goalkeeper until you can catch a football.”

[simples]

He was goalkeeper in my second season following the City, the previous year we were relegated. As a primary school whipper-snapper it was a good time, we gained promotion at the first attempt, scoring goals for fun, a long unbeaten run, fixture pile-ups at the end of the season, games every other day. I think we played around 70 games. As a football mad kid who couldn't get enough football those were good days. My main memory of him was he possessed a very long clearance. In the days before ticky tacka football it could be claimed his long clearances to the edge of the opponents penalty area created lots of chances and contributed as an attacking threat as well as being a safe pair of hands.

Good memories....

[Noboddy aka Lord Ealing]

Sad, another childhood hero passes on.