Derek Ufton
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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Full name | Derek Gilbert Ufton | ||||||||||||||
Born | Crayford, Kent, England | 31 May 1928||||||||||||||
Died | 27 March 2021 | (aged 92)||||||||||||||
Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||
Role | Wicket-keeper | ||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||
1949–1962 | Kent | ||||||||||||||
FC debut | 23 July 1949 Kent v Warwickshire | ||||||||||||||
Last FC | 2 June 1962 Kent v Warwickshire | ||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Source: CricInfo, 27 March 2021 |
Derek Gilbert Ufton (31 May 1928 – 27 March 2021) was an English professional
Early life
Ufton was born at Crayford in Kent in 1928. After winning a scholarship, he was educated at Dartford Grammar School[4] where his PE teacher was Joe Jagger, the father of future rock star Mick Jagger. Growing up during World War II, Ufton worked in a shipping office in London during the later part of the war. His mother was killed in an air raid in 1944.[3][4]
He completed his national service in the Royal Army Service Corps in Aldershot after the end of the war, playing cricket for the RASC[4] and football for Army sides alongside Jimmy Hill. He shared a flat with Hill in London after being demobilised and went on to meet Malcolm Allison, who he remained friends with. This meeting led to him signing as a professional for Charlton Athletic Football Club in 1949, having been also offered a trial at Cardiff City.[3][4][5]
Cricket career
A keen sportsman, Ufton played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club between 1949 and 1962 as a wicket-keeper batsman.[2][6] He had first played for the county's Second XI in 1945 and was awarded his Second XI cap in 1946, but his period of national service meant he did not make his First XI debut until 1949.[4][7] He scored almost 4,000 runs for the side, keeping wicket as a replacement for England international wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans. In 1961, his most successful season statistically, he scored 668 runs for Kent and took 90 dismissals[2] and made his only first-class appearance for a non-Kent side, playing for an MCC side against Scotland.[7] His only first-class century, a score of 119 not out was made against Sussex at Hastings in 1952.[4][8]
Ufton was awarded his Kent
Football career
Ufton made 277 appearances, primarily as a
He was captain of Charlton in
Ufton's playing career was ended by injury in 1960. He then became a coach at Tooting & Mitcham United in 1961, where he stayed until joining Malcolm Allison as a coach at Plymouth Argyle during the 1964–65 season. He replaced Allison as manager in 1965, managing the club in 117 matches before leaving in 1968.[4][11] He served as a director of Charlton between 1984 and 2009.[4]
Personal life
Ufton married twice, his first marriage ending in divorce. He had five children.[3] After his playing career he worked as a sporting activities director at the Sportsman Casino in London[4] and was the national chairman of the Lord's Taverners cricket charity.[12]
In later life he lived at Elham between Canterbury and Folkestone.[13] Ufton died at the age of 92 in March 2021.[2]
References
- ^ Charlton Athletic Football Club, 2021-03-27. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Derek Ufton 1928–2021, Kent County Cricket Club, 2021-03-27. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
- ^ a b c d Derek Ufton obituary, The Times, 2021-03-29. Retrieved 2021-03-29. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Pennell M (2014) A remarkable sporting life – Derek Ufton, Kent County Cricket Club, 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
- ^ a b c Derek Ufton, sportsman who played cricket for Kent and football for Charlton Athletic – obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
- CricInfo. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
- ^ a b c Derek Ufton, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2021-03-27. (subscription required)
- ^ Sussex v Kent at Hastings, The Times, 1952-07-28, p.3. (Available online at The Times Digital Archive. (subscription required) Retrieved 2021-03-29.)
- ^ A tribute to DCC legend Derek Ufton Archived 28 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Dartford Cricket Club. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ a b Giller N (2008) The Summers day that brightened Christmas, Sports Journalists' Association, 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- Plymouth Argyle Football Club, 2021-03-27. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
- ^ Derek Ufton: Former Kent cricketer & Charlton and England footballer dies, aged 92, BBC Sport, 2021-03-27. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- Kent Online, 2021-03-27. Retrieved 2021-03-29.