Michael Keeping
Encyclopedia
Alexander Edwin Michael "Mike" Keeping (22 August 1902 – 28 March 1984) was an English
footballer
and manager
. He coached Real Madrid C.F.
from January 1948 to October 1950.
where he was spotted playing for his home-town club, Milford on Sea F.C., and was signed by Southampton
, then still in the Southern League
, in the summer of 1919 for a bargain fee of £25. Still only 16, Keeping was registered as an amateur but paid 10 shillings (50p) a week for travelling expenses.
He signed as a professional in December 1920 but only made his first-team debut on 25 October 1924, in a Football League Division 2 match at Hull City
as a replacement for the long-serving Fred Titmuss
who was injured. In his first season
he made only seven league appearances. In the following season, he again started as an understudy to Titmuss but in October he took over at left-back and retained his position, with Titmuss leaving the club in February 1926. He soon blossomed into an outstanding left-back who "oozed class and being fleet of foot could turn on the run to sweep the ball straight up the touchline to the waiting winger".
He was selected for an international trial in February 1926 and joined an F.A. party on a tour of Canada in the summer.
He continued to display his superb skills in the Second Division and was an ever-present for the Saints in 1926–27 both in the league and in their run to the F.A. Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge
on 26 March 1927, which Southampton lost 1–2 to Arsenal
. During this season manager Arthur Chadwick
soon settled on his favoured line-up with eleven players featuring in at least 35 of the 42 league games; Keeping lined up in defence with Ted Hough
behind the three centre-backs – Bert Shelley
, George Harkus
and Stan Woodhouse
.
He missed the start of the 1927–28 season due to illness, but was otherwise a regular starter throughout the next four seasons as Saints regularly finished in mid-table. He made a good start to the 1931–32 season and won his only representative honours when he played for the Football League against the Irish League in September 1931. He was then struck down with appendicitis
in January and was out for the rest of the season.
In February 1933 Southampton needed to raise cash and they sold Keeping and John Arnold
to Fulham
for a combined fee of £5,000, with Arthur Tilford
temporarily joining the Saints. Jimmy McIntyre
, the former Saints manager now in charge at Fulham boasted that this was "the best deal I ever brought off". In his playing career at The Dell
, Keeping made a total of 281 appearances for the Saints, scoring twelve goals.
In Holley and Chalk's "Alphabet of the Saints", Keeping is described as "a debonair man, contemporaries recall him as being equally stylish off the pitch and, much to the amusement of his team-mates, he would take hours over his appearance".
in 1939. He continued to turn out occasionally for Fulham until 1941 when he returned to Milford to join the family motor business.
before spells as coach or manager in Denmark, the Netherlands, France and North Africa. Later he took over as manager at Poole Town
in the Southern League.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. He coached Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
from January 1948 to October 1950.
Southampton
Keeping was born in Milford on SeaMilford on Sea
Milford on Sea is a large village and civil parish located on the south coast of England in the county of Hampshire. With a population of approximately 4500, Milford has a variety of shops, restaurants and pubs in its high street, which borders the village green.-Overview:Milford on Sea is village...
where he was spotted playing for his home-town club, Milford on Sea F.C., and was signed by 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...
, then still in the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, in the summer of 1919 for a bargain fee of £25. Still only 16, Keeping was registered as an amateur but paid 10 shillings (50p) a week for travelling expenses.
He signed as a professional in December 1920 but only made his first-team debut on 25 October 1924, in a Football League Division 2 match at Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
as a replacement for the long-serving Fred Titmuss
Fred Titmuss
Frederick Titmuss was an English footballer who played at full-back for Southampton and Plymouth Argyle, and also made two appearances for England.-Southampton:...
who was injured. In his first season
1924-25 in English football
The 1924–25 season was the 50th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
he made only seven league appearances. In the following season, he again started as an understudy to Titmuss but in October he took over at left-back and retained his position, with Titmuss leaving the club in February 1926. He soon blossomed into an outstanding left-back who "oozed class and being fleet of foot could turn on the run to sweep the ball straight up the touchline to the waiting winger".
He was selected for an international trial in February 1926 and joined an F.A. party on a tour of Canada in the summer.
He continued to display his superb skills in the Second Division and was an ever-present for the Saints in 1926–27 both in the league and in their run to the F.A. Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
on 26 March 1927, which Southampton lost 1–2 to 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...
. During this season manager Arthur Chadwick
Arthur Chadwick
Arthur Chadwick was a professional footballer whose playing career included spells at Portsmouth and Southampton, before going on to be manager at Exeter City, Reading and Southampton...
soon settled on his favoured line-up with eleven players featuring in at least 35 of the 42 league games; Keeping lined up in defence with Ted Hough
Ted Hough
Edward "Ted" Hough was an English footballer who spent most of his career with Southampton playing as a centre-half and later as a full-back.-Southampton:...
behind the three centre-backs – Bert Shelley
Bert Shelley
Frederick Albert "Bert" Shelley was an English footballer, who played as a half back for Southampton, for whom he made nearly 450 appearances, before becoming a coach at Southampton...
, George Harkus
George Harkus
George Cecil Harkus MBE was an English professional footballer who played as a half back for Southampton in the 1920s before serving with distinction in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.-Early days:...
and Stan Woodhouse
Stan Woodhouse
Stanley "Stan" Woodhouse was an English footballer who played initially as an inside forward and later as a half back with Bury and Southampton in the 1920s and 1930s.-Playing career:...
.
He missed the start of the 1927–28 season due to illness, but was otherwise a regular starter throughout the next four seasons as Saints regularly finished in mid-table. He made a good start to the 1931–32 season and won his only representative honours when he played for the Football League against the Irish League in September 1931. He was then struck down with appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
in January and was out for the rest of the season.
In February 1933 Southampton needed to raise cash and they sold Keeping and John Arnold
John Arnold (cricketer)
John Arnold was an English cricketer who played in one Test in 1931.-Cricket career:...
to 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...
for a combined fee of £5,000, with Arthur Tilford
Arthur Tilford
Arthur Tilford was an English professional footballer who played as a full-back for various clubs in the 1920s and 1930s.-Football career:...
temporarily joining the Saints. Jimmy McIntyre
Jimmy McIntyre
James Alfred "Jimmy" McIntyre was an English footballer who became manager at Southampton, Coventry City and Fulham.-Playing career:...
, the former Saints manager now in charge at Fulham boasted that this was "the best deal I ever brought off". In his playing career at The Dell
The Dell (Southampton F.C.)
The Dell in Milton Road, Southampton, England was the home ground of Southampton Football Club, between 1898 and 2001.-New stadium:Since 1896, Southampton had been tenants of Hampshire County Cricket Club at the County Ground, having vacated the Antelope Ground in the summer of 1896...
, Keeping made a total of 281 appearances for the Saints, scoring twelve goals.
In Holley and Chalk's "Alphabet of the Saints", Keeping is described as "a debonair man, contemporaries recall him as being equally stylish off the pitch and, much to the amusement of his team-mates, he would take hours over his appearance".
Fulham
Keeping joined Fulham in February 1933 and served them well until the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939. He continued to turn out occasionally for Fulham until 1941 when he returned to Milford to join the family motor business.
Management career
From January 1948 to October 1950 he was coach at Real Madrid C.F.Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
before spells as coach or manager in Denmark, the Netherlands, France and North Africa. Later he took over as manager at Poole Town
Poole Town F.C.
Poole Town F.C. is a football club based in Poole, England. They were established in 1890 and joined the Western League Division Two in 1930. They won the Western League title in 1957 and reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup four times in their history. They are currently members of the...
in the Southern League.