Dave Beasant
Encyclopedia
David John "Dave" Beasant, (born 20 March 1959 in Willesden
, London
) is a retired English football goalkeeper who began his career in the late 1970s. A well-travelled player, Beasant's former clubs include Wimbledon
, Newcastle United
, Chelsea
, Southampton
, Nottingham Forest
, Portsmouth
, Tottenham Hotspur
, Brighton & Hove Albion
and Wigan Athletic
. He is best remembered for his part in Wimbledon's 1988 shock FA Cup
victory, during which he was the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final. His nickname was 'Lurch' due to his resemblance to the butler in the TV show The Addams Family
. He made two appearances for the England national football team
.
, newly promoted to the Third Division
, signed him from non league Edgware Town. He made his debut for them against Blackpool
on 12 January 1980 and played once again that season, in which Wimbledon were relegated. He became a regular player the following campaign when they were promoted and stayed loyal to the club even when they were relegated again in 1982, being a key player in the side that won the Fourth Division title in 1983, won promotion from the Third Division a year later, and completed a four-season rise to the First Division in 1986 when they gained promotion from the Second Division in only their ninth season as a Football League team.
He became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup
final when he blocked John Aldridge
's spot-kick for Liverpool
in 1988
, and in doing so helped Wimbledon
secure a famous 1–0 win. He was also the first goalkeeper to captain his team in an FA Cup final.
His ability to kick the ball some considerable distance fitted in well with the style of play Wimbledon were known for in the 1980s, nor was he afraid to move out of the area and upfield before kicking the ball, or in order to take free kicks. As a result, opposing defences could never relax when he had the ball.
Beasant won two caps
for England
, and went to the 1990 World Cup as a late replacement when third-choice keeper David Seaman
suffered a hand injury.
Wimbledon also did well in the league after their promotion in 1986, going top of the First Division in early September before finishing sixth at the end of the 1986-87 season
. They finished seventh in the cup winning campaign a year later, and in June 1988 Beasant was sold to Newcastle United for £750,000 - a national record for a goalkeeper at the time.
was short and ill fated as the Magpies struggled and were finally relegated from the First Division in bottom place, but Beasant had left in January 1989 to join Chelsea
.
In September 1992, two mistakes in a match against Norwich City
led to Chelsea manager Ian Porterfield telling the media Beasant would never play for the club again, although he returned to the side when Porterfield left later that season.
He missed the first two months of the 1993–94 season with an injury sustained after an accident when he dropped a bottle of salad cream on his foot, severing the tendon to his big toe.
Following the arrival of new manager, Glenn Hoddle
, who opted for Dmitri Kharine
as his first choice keeper with Kevin Hitchcock
in reserve, Beasant was unable to get back into the Chelsea squad and looked for a new club.
. Beasant made his debut in a 1–0 defeat at Everton
on 4 December; despite a run of four defeats, his confidence gradually returned and he soon became a favourite with The Dell crowd. With the departure of Ian Branfoot
and his replacement as manager by Alan Ball, the "Saints" eventually climbed out of the relegation zone, finishing the 1993–94 season one point above relegated Sheffield United
.
At the start of the 1994–95 season, he was replaced by Bruce Grobbelaar
but was restored as first-choice keeper for the last month of the season. Following Alan Ball's move to Manchester City
in the summer of 1995, new manager Dave Merrington preferred Beasant in goal. The team struggled throughout the season, and were never far from the relegation zone, but finished level on points but with a better goal difference than Ball's Manchester City who were relegated. Beasant himself finished the season by being voted the club's Player of the Season.
For the 1996–97 season, Graeme Souness
was appointed manager; initially, Souness kept faith with Beasant but after a series of injuries (during which Saints took Chris Woods
on loan), Souness signed Maik Taylor
from Barnet
in January. Beasant's final first-team game for Southampton was a 1–0 defeat against Liverpool
on 29 December 1996. Following the arrival of Paul Jones
in the summer of 1997, Beasant was now only third-choice 'keeper, and after a loan move to Nottingham Forest
in August 1997, the transfer was made permanent in November. In his four years at The Dell, he made a total of 105 appearances in all competitions.
, during which time they were relegated from the Premier League one season after promotion. He went on to become Forest's oldest ever player at 42. He produced arguably much of his best form during his time at the City Ground
. He was solid and reliable, and consistently produced good saves each season.
He then signed for Portsmouth in August 2001 after their regular goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan
was killed in a car crash.
He played his last competitive game in the 2002–03 season for Brighton & Hove Albion
in Division One at the age of 43, although he did spend the 2003–04 season registered as a player with Fulham
in the FA Premier League
. By then he was the oldest player registered with any professional club and the last in England with a 1950s
birthdate.
. The following month, on 13 December, he made his second and final England appearance against Yugoslavia
.
. Beasant resigned from the Northern Ireland post in 2007 after Sanchez was appointed Fulham manager only for the pair to both be sacked by the club in December 2007.
Beasant is currently a senior coach at the Glenn Hoddle Academy
. He joined in 2008 and works not only with the Academy’s goalkeepers, but also outfield players, especially defenders.
Chelsea
Nottingham Forest
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a retired English football goalkeeper who began his career in the late 1970s. A well-travelled player, Beasant's former clubs include Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
and Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
. He is best remembered for his part in Wimbledon's 1988 shock FA Cup
FA Cup Final 1988
The 1988 FA Cup Final took place on 14 May 1988 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Wimbledon, unfashionable and unfancied, and Liverpool, one of the dominant teams of the 1980s and newly-crowned league champions....
victory, during which he was the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final. His nickname was 'Lurch' due to his resemblance to the butler in the TV show The Addams Family
The Addams Family (TV series)
The Addams Family is an American television series based on the characters in Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. The 30-minute series was shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons in 64 installments on ABC from September 18, 1964, to April 8, 1966...
. He made two appearances for the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Wimbledon
He entered the Football League in 1979 at the age of 20 when WimbledonWimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, newly promoted to the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
, signed him from non league Edgware Town. He made his debut for them against Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on 12 January 1980 and played once again that season, in which Wimbledon were relegated. He became a regular player the following campaign when they were promoted and stayed loyal to the club even when they were relegated again in 1982, being a key player in the side that won the Fourth Division title in 1983, won promotion from the Third Division a year later, and completed a four-season rise to the First Division in 1986 when they gained promotion from the Second Division in only their ninth season as a Football League team.
He became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final when he blocked John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
's spot-kick for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in 1988
FA Cup Final 1988
The 1988 FA Cup Final took place on 14 May 1988 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Wimbledon, unfashionable and unfancied, and Liverpool, one of the dominant teams of the 1980s and newly-crowned league champions....
, and in doing so helped Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
secure a famous 1–0 win. He was also the first goalkeeper to captain his team in an FA Cup final.
His ability to kick the ball some considerable distance fitted in well with the style of play Wimbledon were known for in the 1980s, nor was he afraid to move out of the area and upfield before kicking the ball, or in order to take free kicks. As a result, opposing defences could never relax when he had the ball.
Beasant won two caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, and went to the 1990 World Cup as a late replacement when third-choice keeper David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
suffered a hand injury.
Wimbledon also did well in the league after their promotion in 1986, going top of the First Division in early September before finishing sixth at the end of the 1986-87 season
1986-87 in English football
The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off...
. They finished seventh in the cup winning campaign a year later, and in June 1988 Beasant was sold to Newcastle United for £750,000 - a national record for a goalkeeper at the time.
Chelsea
However, Beasant's spell on TynesideTyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
was short and ill fated as the Magpies struggled and were finally relegated from the First Division in bottom place, but Beasant had left in January 1989 to join Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
In September 1992, two mistakes in a match against Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
led to Chelsea manager Ian Porterfield telling the media Beasant would never play for the club again, although he returned to the side when Porterfield left later that season.
He missed the first two months of the 1993–94 season with an injury sustained after an accident when he dropped a bottle of salad cream on his foot, severing the tendon to his big toe.
Following the arrival of new manager, Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
, who opted for Dmitri Kharine
Dmitri Kharine
Dmitri Viktorovich Kharine , is a retired association footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is the current goalkeeping coach at Conference National club Luton Town.-Russian football:...
as his first choice keeper with Kevin Hitchcock
Kevin Hitchcock
Kevin Hitchcock is an English former football goalkeeper who made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League and Premier League playing for Mansfield Town, Chelsea and Northampton Town.-Career:...
in reserve, Beasant was unable to get back into the Chelsea squad and looked for a new club.
Southampton
Beasant signed for Southampton in November 1993 for a fee of £300,000 to replace the recently departed Tim FlowersTim Flowers
Timothy David "Tim" Flowers is an English former football goalkeeper and the former manager of Conference North team Stafford Rangers.-Club career:...
. Beasant made his debut in a 1–0 defeat at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on 4 December; despite a run of four defeats, his confidence gradually returned and he soon became a favourite with The Dell crowd. With the departure of Ian Branfoot
Ian Branfoot
Ian Grant Branfoot is an English former footballer and manager.He played as a defender, and after starting at Gateshead joined Sheffield Wednesday, making his Football League debut in 1965. After 42 senior appearances for the club he left in 1969-70 for Doncaster Rovers...
and his replacement as manager by Alan Ball, the "Saints" eventually climbed out of the relegation zone, finishing the 1993–94 season one point above relegated Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
.
At the start of the 1994–95 season, he was replaced by Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce David Grobbelaar is a former football goalkeeper and manager.He played for a number of clubs in a career which spanned for more than 20 years at professional level, most notably Liverpool during their dominant period in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Early years:In his teenage years, Grobbelaar...
but was restored as first-choice keeper for the last month of the season. Following Alan Ball's move to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in the summer of 1995, new manager Dave Merrington preferred Beasant in goal. The team struggled throughout the season, and were never far from the relegation zone, but finished level on points but with a better goal difference than Ball's Manchester City who were relegated. Beasant himself finished the season by being voted the club's Player of the Season.
For the 1996–97 season, Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
was appointed manager; initially, Souness kept faith with Beasant but after a series of injuries (during which Saints took Chris Woods
Chris Woods
Christopher 'Chris' Charles Eric Woods is a former England international football goalkeeper, who played in the Football League and Premier League for Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Southampton and Burnley, in the Scottish Football League for Rangers, and in Major...
on loan), Souness signed Maik Taylor
Maik Taylor
Maik Stefan Taylor is a professional footballer who plays for Leeds United and is a former Northern Ireland international....
from Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
in January. Beasant's final first-team game for Southampton was a 1–0 defeat against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on 29 December 1996. Following the arrival of Paul Jones
Paul Jones (footballer)
Paul Steven Jones is a retired Welsh international football goalkeeper. During his playing career, he played for several clubs, including Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stockport County and Southampton.-Career history:...
in the summer of 1997, Beasant was now only third-choice 'keeper, and after a loan move to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in August 1997, the transfer was made permanent in November. In his four years at The Dell, he made a total of 105 appearances in all competitions.
Later career
In November 1997, he signed for Nottingham Forest at 38 years old, after a short period on loan. He spent four years at the City GroundCity Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
, during which time they were relegated from the Premier League one season after promotion. He went on to become Forest's oldest ever player at 42. He produced arguably much of his best form during his time at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
. He was solid and reliable, and consistently produced good saves each season.
He then signed for Portsmouth in August 2001 after their regular goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan
Aaron Flahavan
Aaron Adam Flahavan was an English football goalkeeper who played for Portsmouth.- Life and career :Flahavan played for the Southampton youth team before turning professional with Portsmouth at age 18 in 1994...
was killed in a car crash.
He played his last competitive game in the 2002–03 season for Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
in Division One at the age of 43, although he did spend the 2003–04 season registered as a player with Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
. By then he was the oldest player registered with any professional club and the last in England with a 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
birthdate.
International career
The first of Beasant's two England caps came on 15 November 1989 against ItalyItaly national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. The following month, on 13 December, he made his second and final England appearance against Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
.
Coaching career
By the time of his retirement, Beasant had been appointed as a goalkeeping coach at Fulham in addition to serving as goalkeeping coach for Northern Ireland under former Wimbledon teammate Lawrie SanchezLawrie Sanchez
Lawrence Philip "Lawrie" Sanchez is a former Northern Irish football manager, and a former player. He is currently the manager of League Two side Barnet...
. Beasant resigned from the Northern Ireland post in 2007 after Sanchez was appointed Fulham manager only for the pair to both be sacked by the club in December 2007.
Beasant is currently a senior coach at the Glenn Hoddle Academy
Glenn Hoddle Academy
The Glenn Hoddle Academy was established in 2008, by former England international footballer Glenn Hoddle. Hoddle set the academy up in the memory of his brother, Carl, a former Tottenham Hotspur player who died aged 40....
. He joined in 2008 and works not only with the Academy’s goalkeepers, but also outfield players, especially defenders.
Honours
WimbledonWimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winner: 1988 - Football League Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
runner-up: 1983–84 - Football League Fourth DivisionFootball League Fourth DivisionThe Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
champion: 1982–83 - Football League Group Cup runner-up: 1982
Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
- Zenith Data Systems CupFull Members CupThe Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
winner: 1990
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
- Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
champion: 1997–98