‘JOHN WAS ONE OF THE BEST GOALKEEPERS I EVER PLAYED WITH...’

PORT Vale, team-mates and supporters have been paying tribute to John Connaughton following the former goalkeeper’s death, at the age of 73.

The Wigan-born keeper made 218 appearances for the Vale between 1974 and 1980 and won the club’s player-of-the year award in 1974/75.

He had begun his career at Manchester United, made three first-team appearances for them and had loans at Halifax and Torquay before joining Vale on a free transfer, via a spell at Sheffield United. Team-mate Brian Horton recalls: “He was the life and soul of everything. He loved a laugh, was good in the dressing room and got on with everybody. He was also a very good goalkeeper, one of the best I have played with. He had come from Manchester United and his kicking and his all-round game was good. In my opinion, he should have played higher. “We had a good team spirit at the club at the time and he was a big part of that. When I later came back as manager he came to quite a few games.

“As a player at Vale, he was great around the place, a good character and good fun. But when it came to football, he was serious about it and very professional.”

Former forward Ray Williams also played in the same side as Connaughton at Vale Park. He said: “He had been at Manchester United but he had no airs and graces and wasn’t ‘bigtime’. He was a very jovial lad in the dressing room and he settled in so well. “He was also a good goalkeeper. In fact, he was an excellent keeper at our level but what I remember most about him is his character about the club.” Supporter and club historian Phil Sherwin was a teenager watching Connaughton.

He said: “When he came in, in 1974, you could see straight away he was a very good keeper, better than we had been used to. He fully deserved to be player of the year in his first season.

“He had the extra bit of quality that we needed as we were trying to progress. Back then we were midtable in the Third Division, a bit like we are now. “He was commanding and held the defence together very well. He helped us get to the fifth round of the FA Cup in 1976/77.

“He helped us finish sixth in his first season, although there were no play-offs in those days. Then we were mid table but then Brian Horton was sold and we went downhill a little bit. “But John Connaughton was a very good keeper in his first three or four years. I think he may have had a few injuries because he didn’t make as many appearances in his last few years and we were relegated. But overall he was very good. He was certainly one of my early heroes.

“He was also a bubbly character, very good with supporters and at supporters meetings.” Connaughton figured in some memorable matches, playing Burnley and then Aston Villa in the fifth round of the FA Cup among them, but it was far from the end of his story when he left Vale Park.

He said: “I had started up in the wastepaper business, so it suited me to go part-time and I could not have done better than go to Altrincham, who were one of the leading non-league sides of the day.

“They could easily have played in the Third Division and we had some great Cup runs.

“I remember going to Sheffield United, when they were unbeaten and top of the League. We drew 2-2 and won the replay 4-0. “I would love to have gone back to play at Vale Park, but we blew the opportunity. The cup draw was Altrincham or Burnley versus Port Vale, so I was really up for the game. It was a wet Monday night and I had a nightmare. We lost 6-1.

“On another occasion we beat Scunthorpe and were drawn away at Liverpool against Dalglish and company.

“We lost 4-1, but it was 2-1 for a long time and we did ourselves proud. Aside from the cup games we won the Alliance (now Conference) twice and the Bob Lord Trophy and went to Wembley in the final of the FA Trophy against Enfield. “It was 0-0 until the last kick of extra-time, when they scored, which denied us a replay at Old Trafford. I was voted man of the match, but had made up my mind I was retiring at the end of the season.”