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Post by jupu on Dec 28, 2019 12:00:08 GMT
Sad to report that former City goalkeeper John Kirkwood has died at the age of 87.
Having started out playing junior football in his native Scotland, John signed for Reading at the age of 17 and made 31 league appearances in 4 and a half seasons there. He moved on to join Dartford in the Southern League for the 1954/55 season and signed for City at the start of the 1957/58 season. He began as deputy to former Welsh international Ron Howells who had signed at the same time from Cardiff City, but quickly became first choice ‘keeper.
John was one of the heroes of the team that defeated Liverpool in 1959 but early the following season John suffered a serious stomach injury and missed a large part of the season. He returned and had two further seasons at City before signing for Dover where he eventually hung up his boots in 1965.
John's funeral will take place on Wednesday 15 January at 12:45pm at Henley Road cemetery in Reading. I'll do a tribute to him in our next programme and there will hopefully be a minute's silence (or applause) prior to kick-off at the game v Wulfrunians on 4 January.
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Post by Tim Munslow on Dec 28, 2019 16:14:58 GMT
One of our greatest goalkeepers: Mr Reliable. It would be nice to mark his passing, but for me a minute's silence is always better than applause.
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Post by genghis on Dec 28, 2019 16:42:41 GMT
Sad to report that former City goalkeeper John Kirkwood has died at the age of 87. Having started out playing junior football in his native Scotland, John signed for Reading at the age of 17 and made 31 league appearances in 4 and a half seasons there. He moved on to join Dartford in the Southern League for the 1954/55 season and signed for City at the start of the 1957/58 season. He began as deputy to former Welsh international Ron Howells who had signed at the same time from Cardiff City, but quickly became first choice ‘keeper. John was one of the heroes of the team that defeated Liverpool in 1959 but early the following season John suffered a serious stomach injury and missed a large part of the season. He returned and had two further seasons at City before signing for Dover where he eventually hung up his boots in 1965. John's funeral will take place on Wednesday 15 January at 12:45pm at Henley Road cemetery in Reading. I'll do a tribute to him in our next programme and there will hopefully be a minute's silence (or applause) prior to kick-off at the game v Wulfrunians on 4 January. R.I.P. John. They didn’t make them like him anymore.
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