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Nigel Sims

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Nigel Sims
Sims in training in 1959
Personal information
Date of birth (1931-08-09)9 August 1931
Place of birth Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire, England
Date of death 6 January 2018(2018-01-06) (aged 86)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
194x–1948 Stapenhill
1948–1956 Wolverhampton Wanderers 38 (0)
1956–1964 Aston Villa 264 (0)
1963 Toronto City
1964–1965 Peterborough United 16 (0)
1967 Toronto Falcons 2 (0)
– Toronto Italia
Total 320 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

David Nigel Sims (9 August 1931 – 6 January 2018) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Peterborough United in the 1950s and 1960s.[1]

Sims was born at Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire. He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Stapenhill in August 1948 as understudy to Bert Williams, and made his first-team debut on 18 April 1949 in a 1–1 draw with Sheffield United in the First Division.[2] While a National Serviceman in 1950, Sims played for the Army in a representative match against an Irish Football Association XI.[3] During his eight seasons at Wolves he only made 39 appearances[4] before transferring to Midlands rivals Aston Villa in March 1956.[5] He made his debut against Burnley that same month.

He was on the winning side in the 1957 FA Cup final, in which Villa beat Manchester United 2–1,[6] followed three years later by a Second Division winners' medal. In 1961, he helped Villa lift the inaugural League Cup.[7]

He played representative matches for the Football League,[8] and in 1958, was the first winner of Aston Villa supporters' "Terrace Trophy".[9]

In September 1964, having lost his place in the side, he transferred to Peterborough United. He appeared only sixteen times for them before trying his luck in Canada, having already spent a summer with Toronto City in the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League.[10] He appeared twice for the Toronto Falcons in the National Professional Soccer League,[11] and also played for Toronto Italia.

In Safe Hands, a book about his footballing memories, was published in August 2012.[12]

Honours

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Aston Villa

References

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  1. ^ "Nigel Sims". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  2. ^ "Team Details: 1948–1949". Wolves-Stats. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  3. ^ Glass, George (12 April 2009). "13 September 1950". Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Players. A–Z". Wolves-Stats. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Sims, Nigel David". Aston Villa Player Database. Jörn Mårtensson. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  6. ^ Fort, Didier (15 February 2006). "England – FA Cup Finals 1946–2000". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  7. ^ Fort, Didier (25 February 2001). "England – League Cup Finals 1961–2001". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  8. ^ "Young Football League Team. Change of Policy Justified". The Times. 23 September 1957. p. 13.
  9. ^ "Lions Roar at Awards". Aston Villa F.C. 28 May 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  10. ^ Jose, Colin (2001). On-Side – 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario. Vaughan, Ontario: Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. p. 232.
  11. ^ "North American Soccer League Players Nigel Sims". NASL Jerseys. Dave Morrison. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  12. ^ "In Safe Hands: Nigel Sims' Football Memories". Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  13. ^ Vernon, Leslie; Rollin, Jack (1977). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78. London: Brickfield Publications Ltd. p. 490. ISBN 0354 09018 6.
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