Ex-professional footballers
I am trying to ascertain how many former footballers have property here in southern Spain – any information would be appreciated. I’m on Facebook and my email address is: tony_matthews@ live.co.uk
So far, I have traced 14 ex-players who are living in this area of Almería in Spain, some quite near to where I reside right now, which is in Cortijo Cabrera, near Turre and Mojácar.
They are, in A-Z order: Keith Bradley (ex-Aston Villa and Peterborough); Julian Broddle (defender with Barnsley, Scunthorpe, Sheffield United and Plymouth); Viv Busby (an FA Cup finalist in 1975 with Fulham and also a forward with Luton, Newcastle, Norwich, Sheffield United, Stoke and York); Ray Daniel (a full-back with Cardiff, Hull, Notts County, Portsmouth and Walsall); Terry Eccles (once of Blackburn, Huddersfield, Mansfield and Ethnikos in Greece); Alex Elder (Irish international full-back who played for Glentoran, Burnley - league champions in 1960 and Stoke City); Roy McDonagh (a striker with Birmingham, Cambridge United, Colchester, Exeter, Southend and Walsall); Ray McHale (who, between 1970 and 1988, starred for 10 different league clubs, namely Barnsley, Brighton, Bury, Chesterfield, Halifax, Sheffield United, Swansea, Swindon, Rochdale, Scarborough, Wycombe and York, as well as Tulsa Roughnecks in the USA); Keith Leonard (Aston Villa and Port Vale); Jimmy Ryan (who had spells with Manchester United and Luton); Derek Statham (former WBA, Southampton, Walsall and England left-back) and Colin Turner (1940s defender with Nottingham Forest, who is now aged 85).
I’ve also obtained information on the former Barcelona and Real Madrid star, Evaristo de Macedo Filho, born in Brazil, who may well be oldest ex-player residing in Spain who is alive today at the age of 89.