Gary Sprake
Encyclopedia
Gareth Sprake is a Welsh
former professional footballer. A goalkeeper, he played for Leeds United
and Birmingham City
and also won 37 caps for Wales
.
Sprake became known during his career as a goalkeeper who was brilliant, but occasionally prone to appalling mistakes. He spent more than a decade as the number 1 keeper at Leeds during a period when they were a dominant side in the English domestic game.
. The call to Sprake, who was still in Leeds, was so late that the club paid for a charter aircraft to fly him to the match, and the kick-off was delayed to allow the 16-year-old the chance to get to the ground, change and warm up. Over the next two seasons Sprake became a regular as Leeds won the Second Division
in 1964, and then challenged for the League championship
title and FA Cup
double the following year. Sprake only missed one game in both competitions that season, but Leeds ended with nothing, missing out on the League title on goal difference to Manchester United
, and losing the FA Cup final to Liverpool
.
The first of Sprake's two notorious errors came in 1967 when Leeds played Liverpool in a League game at Anfield
. Sprake was holding the ball and was set to throw it to the Leeds left back Terry Cooper, only to curtail his throw when he spotted Liverpool winger Ian Callaghan
running towards the area he planned to throw the ball. Unfortunately for Sprake, the ball slipped out of his hands behind him and ended up in the net. At half-time, the Liverpool tannoy-announcer played Careless Hands, a record by Des O'Connor
, apparently in reference to Sprake's mistake, and during the second half Liverpool supporters on the Kop
sang the song repeatedly to Sprake. During his time at Leeds, fans of rival clubs - most notably those of Liverpool - gave Sprake the nickname "Careless Hands" as a result.
In the same season Sprake kept a clean sheet as Leeds beat Arsenal
in the League Cup
final, and he performed heroics behind an overworked defence as Leeds won the Fairs Cup
, the club's first European honour. In 1969, Sprake was again a regular as Leeds won the League championship.
In 1970, Sprake and Leeds chased a treble of the League, the FA Cup and the European Cup
, but ended up with nothing. The League title went to Everton
who won by nine points, and Leeds went out of the European Cup in the semi-finals to Celtic
. The FA Cup Final provided the stage for the second of Sprake's most memorable errors.
In the FA Cup final
, Leeds were playing Chelsea
and took an early lead through Jack Charlton
. Chelsea chased an equaliser, but when attacking midfield player Peter Houseman
hit a left foot shot shortly before the break, it seemed tame and directionless enough for Sprake to gather it safely. Sprake crouched down to catch the ball as it bounced, and somehow it slipped through his grasp and rolled into the net. At the time, the Wembley surface was in poor condition, with the stadium
having hosted the Horse of the Year Show
days earlier and having much of the grass
turned into hard turf lumps as a result, as well as the presence of a vast covering of sand
.
In the second half, Mick Jones put Leeds ahead with just six minutes to go, but Chelsea again managed to equalise with a goal. Sprake suffered a knee injury before the replay, and his replacement - David Harvey
- was powerless to prevent Chelsea winning 2-1. Along with the incident at Anfield, Sprake has become best known for his Wembley error ahead of the seasons of loyal and effective service he gave the club.
Sprake was still the first choice keeper for Leeds in the following two seasons, but was replaced by Harvey at the tail of both, including the 1972 FA Cup Final. Sprake watched from the sidelines as Leeds defeated Arsenal 1-0 in 1972 with a goal from Allan Clarke
and a superb performance by Harvey at the other end. In the same year, Sprake publicly criticised Revie for his treatment of him, and so his relationship with his manager, team-mates and the Leeds supporters soured. He only played once in the 1972-73 season, missed two more Cup finals, and eventually left for Birmingham City
for £100,000 in order to play first team football and regain his place in the Welsh team. Sprake played 504 times for Leeds, keeping more than 200 clean sheets, yet is best remembered for two errors and one argument.
between 1963 and 1975, making his debut on 20 November 1963 against Scotland
at the age of 18.
surgery. His severe back problems have been largely blamed on regular injections of cortisone
he was given during his early career at Leeds. Since retiring Sprake has undergone seven operations on his back. He subsequently kept his profile low, returning to his native Wales. His comments to the Daily Mirror about former Leeds manager Don Revie and club captain Billy Bremner
regarding match-fixing, stuck in the craw of his Leeds team-mates, all of whom were fiercely protective of their manager and the team's reputation. As such, Sprake has remained the only member of Revie's team who has been excluded completely by the club, uninvited to team reunions and funerals, and those within it.
Following his retirement, Sprake worked as a rep for a short period before becoming a borough council training officer in Solihull
, a job which he remained in for over 14 years. His biography
, Careless Hands: The Forgotten Truth of Gary Sprake (Tim Johnson
& Stuart Sprake), was published in 2006. In November 2009 Sprake was given an award by The Welsh FA for his contribution to Welsh football during the 1960s and '70s.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
former professional footballer. A goalkeeper, he played for Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
and Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
and also won 37 caps for Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
.
Sprake became known during his career as a goalkeeper who was brilliant, but occasionally prone to appalling mistakes. He spent more than a decade as the number 1 keeper at Leeds during a period when they were a dominant side in the English domestic game.
Club career
Sprake joined Leeds as an apprentice, and made a last-minute debut in 1962 when the regular goalkeeper went down with a stomach complaint on the day of a game at SouthamptonSouthampton 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...
. The call to Sprake, who was still in Leeds, was so late that the club paid for a charter aircraft to fly him to the match, and the kick-off was delayed to allow the 16-year-old the chance to get to the ground, change and warm up. Over the next two seasons Sprake became a regular as Leeds won the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
in 1964, and then challenged for the League championship
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...
title and 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...
double the following year. Sprake only missed one game in both competitions that season, but Leeds ended with nothing, missing out on the League title on goal difference to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, and losing the FA Cup final to 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...
.
The first of Sprake's two notorious errors came in 1967 when Leeds played Liverpool in a League game at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. Sprake was holding the ball and was set to throw it to the Leeds left back Terry Cooper, only to curtail his throw when he spotted Liverpool winger Ian Callaghan
Ian Callaghan
Ian Robert Callaghan MBE is a former Liverpool footballer who holds the record for most appearances for the club.-Life and playing career:...
running towards the area he planned to throw the ball. Unfortunately for Sprake, the ball slipped out of his hands behind him and ended up in the net. At half-time, the Liverpool tannoy-announcer played Careless Hands, a record by Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
, apparently in reference to Sprake's mistake, and during the second half Liverpool supporters on the Kop
Kop
Spion Kop is a colloquial name or term for a number of terraces and stands at sports stadiums, particularly in the United Kingdom...
sang the song repeatedly to Sprake. During his time at Leeds, fans of rival clubs - most notably those of Liverpool - gave Sprake the nickname "Careless Hands" as a result.
In the same season Sprake kept a clean sheet as Leeds beat Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final, and he performed heroics behind an overworked defence as Leeds won the Fairs Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, the club's first European honour. In 1969, Sprake was again a regular as Leeds won the League championship.
In 1970, Sprake and Leeds chased a treble of the League, the FA Cup and the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, but ended up with nothing. The League title went to 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...
who won by nine points, and Leeds went out of the European Cup in the semi-finals to Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. The FA Cup Final provided the stage for the second of Sprake's most memorable errors.
In the FA Cup final
FA Cup Final 1970
The 1970 FA Cup Final was contested by Chelsea and Leeds United. The match took place on 11 April 1970 at Wembley Stadium and ended 2–2, making it the first FA Cup final to require a replay since 1912...
, Leeds were playing 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...
and took an early lead through Jack Charlton
Jack Charlton
John "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...
. Chelsea chased an equaliser, but when attacking midfield player Peter Houseman
Peter Houseman
Peter Houseman was an English footballer.-Chelsea:Born in Battersea, Houseman signed professional terms with Chelsea in 1963, having played for the Chelsea Juniors...
hit a left foot shot shortly before the break, it seemed tame and directionless enough for Sprake to gather it safely. Sprake crouched down to catch the ball as it bounced, and somehow it slipped through his grasp and rolled into the net. At the time, the Wembley surface was in poor condition, with the stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
having hosted the Horse of the Year Show
Horse of the Year Show
The Horse of the Year Show - also known as HOYS - was founded to be a culmination of the British equestrian events year. Because of this, the show needed to be held indoors, making it a unique event....
days earlier and having much of the grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
turned into hard turf lumps as a result, as well as the presence of a vast covering of sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
.
In the second half, Mick Jones put Leeds ahead with just six minutes to go, but Chelsea again managed to equalise with a goal. Sprake suffered a knee injury before the replay, and his replacement - David Harvey
David Harvey (footballer)
David Harvey is a former Scottish internationalist professional association footballer. A goalkeeper, Harvey is best known for his successes with Leeds United.-Leeds United:...
- was powerless to prevent Chelsea winning 2-1. Along with the incident at Anfield, Sprake has become best known for his Wembley error ahead of the seasons of loyal and effective service he gave the club.
Sprake was still the first choice keeper for Leeds in the following two seasons, but was replaced by Harvey at the tail of both, including the 1972 FA Cup Final. Sprake watched from the sidelines as Leeds defeated Arsenal 1-0 in 1972 with a goal from Allan Clarke
Allan Clarke (footballer)
Allan John Clarke , nicknamed "Sniffer", is a former footballer who played in the Football League for Walsall, Fulham, Leicester City, Leeds United and Barnsley, and won 19 international caps for England.-Early career:Clarke started his career at Walsall and made his debut aged 17, in 1963...
and a superb performance by Harvey at the other end. In the same year, Sprake publicly criticised Revie for his treatment of him, and so his relationship with his manager, team-mates and the Leeds supporters soured. He only played once in the 1972-73 season, missed two more Cup finals, and eventually left for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
for £100,000 in order to play first team football and regain his place in the Welsh team. Sprake played 504 times for Leeds, keeping more than 200 clean sheets, yet is best remembered for two errors and one argument.
International career
Sprake won 37 caps for WalesWales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
between 1963 and 1975, making his debut on 20 November 1963 against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
at the age of 18.
After football
A back injury brought Sprake's career to an end at the age of 30, resulting from a near fatal blood clot in his back which forced him to undergo spinal fusionSpinal fusion
Spinal fusion, also known as spondylodesis or spondylosyndesis, is a surgical technique used to join two or more vertebrae. Supplementary bone tissue, either from the patient or a donor , is used in conjunction with the body's natural bone growth processes to fuse the vertebrae.Fusing of the...
surgery. His severe back problems have been largely blamed on regular injections of cortisone
Cortisone
Cortisone is a steroid hormone. It is one of the main hormones released by the adrenal gland in response to stress. In chemical structure, it is a corticosteroid closely related to corticosterone. It is used to treat a variety of ailments and can be administered intravenously, orally,...
he was given during his early career at Leeds. Since retiring Sprake has undergone seven operations on his back. He subsequently kept his profile low, returning to his native Wales. His comments to the Daily Mirror about former Leeds manager Don Revie and club captain Billy Bremner
Billy Bremner
William John "Billy" Bremner was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
regarding match-fixing, stuck in the craw of his Leeds team-mates, all of whom were fiercely protective of their manager and the team's reputation. As such, Sprake has remained the only member of Revie's team who has been excluded completely by the club, uninvited to team reunions and funerals, and those within it.
Following his retirement, Sprake worked as a rep for a short period before becoming a borough council training officer in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, a job which he remained in for over 14 years. His biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
, Careless Hands: The Forgotten Truth of Gary Sprake (Tim Johnson
Timothy Johnson (author)
Timothy Johnson is an author and teacher from Cardiff, Wales. He is best known for writing the biography of Gary Sprake, the Welsh international Goalkeeper. The book, entitled "Careless Hands: The Forgotten Truth of Gary Sprake" was co-written with Stuart Sprake . Also having written Alan Curtis'...
& Stuart Sprake), was published in 2006. In November 2009 Sprake was given an award by The Welsh FA for his contribution to Welsh football during the 1960s and '70s.
Honours
Leeds United- Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
Winner: 1
-
- 1963–64
- 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....
Winner: 1
- Football League First Division
- 1968–69
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
Winner: 1
- Football League Cup
- 19681968 Football League Cup FinalThe 1968 Football League Cup Final took place on 2 March 1968 at Wembley Stadium. It was the eighth final and the second to be played at Wembley. It was contested between Arsenal and Leeds United....
- Inter-Cities Fairs CupInter-Cities Fairs CupThe Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
Winner: 2
- Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
- 1968 and 19711968 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup FinalThe 1968 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final was the final of the tenth edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It was played on 7 August and 11 September 1968 between Leeds United of England and Ferencváros of Hungary. Leeds United won the tie 1–0 on aggregate....
- 1963–64
External links
- Career stats at the Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database