Former City goalkeeper John Kirkwood - City fans always knew him as Johnny - has sadly died at the age of 87. John was our goalkeeper when we played Liverpool in 1959 and was a big favourite with fans in the late 50s and early 60s.

John (2nd from the left in the main photo) was born in Falkirk on 27 February 1932. He worked as a plasterer and played juvenile football with a local side, Woodburn Athletic. In 1949 Blairhall Colliery FC, near Dunfermline, decided to form a juvenile team as a nursery for the first team and signed John on 7 March 1949. John could not have started his adult football career at a better club. Based in a pit village, the club was financed by the miners and moved through the amateur and juvenile ranks to eventually play as juniors (semi-professional). It enjoyed some success on the field but really made its mark by the number of players that graduated to senior football. It is claimed that by the early 1960s on average each season four players were moving up into league football both north and south of the Border. It also had a reputation for producing goalkeepers. When the club’s first choice ‘keeper John McGarrity was called up by East Fife it was not long before 17 years old John Kirkwood found himself as the first team ‘keeper.

His performances meant that he was soon on the radar of Heart of Midlothian and Third Lanark. He played a charity match for Hearts in September 1949 so the Edinburgh club could run the rule over the young 'keeper. Hearts maintained their interest but it was the Reading manager, former Arsenal star Ted Drake, who gave him an opportunity at an English Football League club. John signed for Reading on 15 December 1949.

He was at Elm Park for 4½ seasons and made 32 first team appearances. He moved on to join Dartford in the Southern League in 1954 and remained at the club until signing for City at the start of the 1957/58 season. He joined as deputy to former Welsh international Ron Howells, who had signed at the same time from Cardiff City. However, John played brilliantly in the pre-season matches and became first choice ‘keeper, restricting the experienced Howells to just one appearance and accelerating a move back into league football with Chester. The next season the same thing happened again! City recruited experienced ‘keeper Bill Farmer from Oldham Athletic. John let Bill have three games before he too went back to league football with Coventry.

John joined City at the time of Roy Paul’s arrival at St George’s Lane. The two seasons that followed saw two 5th place league finishes and two terrific FA Cup runs culminating in the famous defeat of Liverpool in 1959. John was a key part of the City team and earned a reputation as a brave and reliable goalkeeper. He played in all our memorable FA Cup matches and in City’s legendary 2-1 victory over Liverpool his opposite number was another Scot, international player Tommy Younger, who came into the City dressing room after the game to congratulate John and his team mates.

In September 1959 John suffered a very serious stomach injury in a match at Gloucester City. It required surgery and John was absent for several months. He was back in action before the end the season and had two further seasons (1960/61 & 1961/62) at City before being released at the end of the 1961/62 season. John had continued to live and train in Reading during his time at City and manager Danny McLennan decided it was time to look for a more local goalkeeper. He joined Dover, where he eventually hung up his boots in 1965. John played 256 matches for City, a record total for a City goalkeeper at the time. At his peak, John was the best goalkeeper outside the Football League.

Douglas Gorman/Julian Pugh