Barry Squires

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Barry Squires
Personal information
Full name Barry Squires[1]
Date of birth (1931-07-29)29 July 1931
Place of birth Birmingham, England
Date of death 18 August 2017(2017-08-18) (aged 86)
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s) Outside left / Left half
Youth career
BSA ATC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 (0)
Wycombe Wanderers
Lye Town
1953–1954 Birmingham City 1 (0)
1954–1955 Bradford City 7 (0)
1955–195? Yeovil Town
Gloucester City
195?–1957 Kidderminster Harriers
1957–195? Rugby Town
1958 Gresley Rovers 5 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Barry Squires (29 July 1931 – 18 August 2017) was an English professional footballer who played as an outside left in the Football League for Birmingham City and Bradford City.[3]

Career[edit]

Squires was born in 1931 in the Sparkhill district of Birmingham.[1] He attended Golden Hillock Road School and captained its football team. He was a member of the Air Training Corps squadron associated with the BSA factory in Small Heath, and played for its football team, before completing his National Service with the RAF.[4] During a lengthy posting to High Wycombe, he was able to play Isthmian League football for Wycombe Wanderers,[5] and was selected to represent Berks & Bucks county.[4] He was on the books of Wolverhampton Wanderers as an amateur, had trials with clubs including Portsmouth and Bristol City, and played for Lye Town, before signing professional forms with Birmingham City in May 1953.[4]

Having to compete with Alex Govan for the outside left position meant Squires had little chance of first-team football.[1] In February 1954, after Govan damaged a toe in training, he was in contention with Geoff Cox and Dennis Hill to start against West Ham United,[6] but Hill was preferred. The only first-team appearance Squires made for the club was on 13 March in a 2–0 defeat away to Brentford in the Second Division, again in the absence of Govan.[7]

He was listed for transfer at the end of the season,[8] and joined Bradford City for a "moderate" fee.[5] He made seven appearances in the Third Division North, and continued his career in non-league football with Yeovil Town,[3] Gloucester City,[9] Kidderminster Harriers, Rugby Town,[10] and Gresley Rovers, for whom he scored once in five games playing at left half.[9]

Squires died on 18 August 2017 at the age of 86.[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Matthews (1995), p. 126.
  2. ^ "Players' roll call for 1953–54: Birmingham City". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 15 August 1953. p. 4.
  3. ^ a b "Barry Squires". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Taken plunge". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 23 May 1953. p. 4.
  5. ^ a b Ingall, Peter (23 June 1954). "Barry Squires joins Bradford City". Birmingham Gazette. p. 6.
  6. ^ Bellamy, Rex (12 February 1954). "Blues' three "rivals" for left wing". Birmingham Gazette. p. 8.
  7. ^ Matthews (1995), p. 189.
  8. ^ "Free transfer for Cyril Trigg". Birmingham Gazette. 28 April 1954. p. 6.
  9. ^ a b "Barry Squires". Gresley Rovers Archive. Gresley Rovers F.C. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
    "First Team Fixtures & Results 1958/1959". Gresley Rovers Archive. Gresley Rovers F.C. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Rugby Town signings". Rugby Advertiser. 9 August 1957. p. 4.
  11. ^ "Wills and probate 1996 to present: Squires 2017". Probate calendar. UK Probate Service. p. 3. Retrieved 12 January 2021.

Sources[edit]

  • Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
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