Playing position Role Football player Years Team Height 1.73 m | 1953–1961 Port Vale Position Goalkeeper Name John Poole | |
Full name John Arthur Frederick Poole Date of birth (1932-12-12) 12 December 1932 (age 83) Place of birth Stoke-upon-Trent, England | ||
John Arthur Frederick Poole (born 12 December 1932) is an English former football goalkeeper who made 33 league appearances for Port Vale in the Football League between 1953 and 1961. He later played for non-league sides Macclesfield Town and Werrington.
Contents
Playing career
After playing for numerous youth sides, including Ashley, Penkhull Youth Club, and Stoke City's youth team, Poole graduated through the Port Vale juniors to sign professional forms in September 1953. Manager Freddie Steele handed him his debut on 28 April 1956, in a 3–2 win over Middlesbrough at Vale Park. Remaining as understudy to Ray King, he featured in three Second Division games in the 1956–57 relegation campaign. He played three Third Division South games in 1957–58, as new manager Norman Low recruited former Wales international Keith Jones as the "Valiants" new number one. Poole did not play in the 1958–59 Fourth Division winning campaign, but had a run of games in the 1959–60 season. He managed to earn the first team goalkeeping spot off Ken Hancock in November 1959, but he lost this position after fracturing his nose in a 6–3 defeat at Mansfield Town on 25 April 1960 – the penultimate game of the season. Manager Norman Low informed Poole's wife with a brief phone call: "Hello, Mrs Poole, Norman Low here. John's in the hospital with a broken nose. The good news is he hasn't fractured his skull. Goodnight!" He played just three Third Division matches in 1960–61, as Hancock firmly established himself as the club's preferred goalkeeper. Poole left on a free transfer in May 1961, and later played for Macclesfield Town and Werrington.
Personal life
Upon his retirement he became a keen Port Vale fan; he co-founded the club's Ex-Players Association with former teammate Ken Hancock. He became a father to two sons: Greg and Duncan; and a grandfather to Reece Poole and Katie Poole.