Alan Nicholls
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 August 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Sutton Coldfield, England | ||
| Date of death | 25 November 1995 (aged 22) | ||
| Place of death | Peterborough, England | ||
| Position(s) |
Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1993 | Cheltenham Town | ? | (?) |
| 1993–1995 | Plymouth Argyle | 65 | (0) |
| 1995 | Gillingham | 0 | (0) |
| 1995 | Stalybridge Celtic | 1 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1994 | England U21 | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Alan Nicholls (23 August 1973 – 25 November 1995) was an English football goalkeeper.
Career
Born in Sutton Coldfield, Nicholls started his career as a trainee at Wolverhampton Wanderers but never made the first team. He later played for non-league clubs Cradley Town and Cheltenham Town, before returning to the professional ranks when he was signed by Peter Shilton, who was then manager of Plymouth Argyle, for £15,000 before the start of the 1993/94 season. During his time at Plymouth, Nicholls's form was so impressive that Shilton felt forced to play him - even though Shilton was himself chasing the 1,000 league appearances record (which he finally achieved at Leyton Orient in December 1996).
After his first season in professional football, during which Plymouth just missed out on promotion to Division One, Nicholls was called up to the
In his two years at Plymouth, Nicholls played 79 games for the club, gaining a reputation as a brilliant but larger-than-life footballer who was often in trouble off the pitch. After Shilton left Plymouth halfway through the 1994–95 season, Nicholls struggled with injuries and clashed with new manager Neil Warnock - who was keen to bring his own players into the club. At the beginning of the 1995–96 season, Nicholls was released by Warnock after a series of off-the-pitch indiscretions. He subsequently moved to
Death
On 25 November 1995, Nicholls played for Stalybridge in a 3–1 win at
Nicholls is buried in the grounds of St Paul's Church, Halesowen. The Three Lions emblem of the England national team is engraved on his headstone, as well as an action shot of him in goal.[3]
Legacy
In a 2007 web poll, Nicholls was named Plymouth Argyle's second-best goalkeeper of all time, behind Jim Furnell, and is still remembered fondly by Plymouth fans.[4]
References
- ^ James, Stuart (19 November 2015). "Alan Nicholls, the maverick goalkeeper who should have played for England but died far too young". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ The Independent article, 28 November 1995 [dead link]
- ^ James, Stuart (19 November 2015). "Alan Nicholls, the maverick goalkeeper who should have played for England but died far too young". The Guardian.
- ^ "Vital Plymouth: Furnell is Argyle's best keeper". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2008.