The Mossley Goalkeepers

1974/75
1975/76
1976/77
1977/78
1978/79
1979/80
1980/81

1990/91
1991/92
1997/98
1998/99
1999/00

1923/24
1924/25
1925/26
1926/27

1932/33
1933/34
1934/35
1935/36

1959/60
1960/61
1961/62

Former Birmingham City goalkeeper signed by Eddie Quigley from Stalybridge Celtic in August 1959, making 139 Mossley appearances in three seasons before transferred back to Stalybridge Celtic in 1962. He later played for Buxton and Altrincham and then became manager of Stalybridge Celtic and coached in Saudi Arabia and Iceland.

1929/30
1930/31
1931/32

1984/85
1985/86
1986/87
1987/88

Brave and agile former Rossendale United and Winsford United goalkeeper signed from Bolton St.Thomas, transferred to Radcliffe Borough. Re-signed from Radcliffe Borough, transferred to Bacup Borough. Mossley Player of the Year 1984-5.

1971/72
1972/73
1973/74

1967/68
1968/69
1969/70

1980/81
1981/82
1982/83

2009/10
2010/11
2011/12

1937/38
1938/39
1939/40

1955/56
1956/57
1957/58

Former Port Vale junior and Stone Dominoes goalkeeper signed from Leek CSOB in August 2001. Transferred to Kidsgrove Athletic in the closed season of 2003. Later with Newcastle Town, Stone Dominoes and Leek Town. He was a member of the Nantwich Town side that won the FA Vase at Wembley Stadium in 2006 and then had later spells with Leek CSOB and Eccleshall.

1965/66
1966/67
1967/68
1970/71

2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18

1918/19
1919/20
1922/23

1951/52
1952/53
1953/54
1954/55
1955/56

John Fitton	1974/75 1975/76 1976/77 1977/78 1978/79 1979/80 1980/81	349	b.3rd january 1951. John began his career with Oldham Athletic (3-0) and was their regular reserve team keeper before joining Rochdale. He made a couple of first team appearances for the Spotland club before being released and joining Skelmersdale United while studying to become a school teacher. He signed for Mossley in October 1974 making his debut in an unlucky 2-1 defeat at Stafford Rangers. Not the biggest of keepers at 5’10” John made up for his lack of inches with a great shot stopping ability and being a superb ‘on the line’ keeper. He dominated the Mossley number 1 shirt for the next seven years, finally relinquishing at the end of the 1980-81 season playing his last game in a 3-2 win at Worksop Town. John holds Mossley's record appearances for a goalkeeper having played 354 games. During this time he was in the team during Mossley’s most successful years, winning two Northern Premier League titles and the NPL Cup and he was also, of course, Mossley’s goalkeeper in the 1980 FA trophy Final at Wembley. John ended his playing career with his local club Chadderton FC.
Rod Bates	1983/84 1992/93 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01	200	Very popular locally based goalkeeper signed on trial from Manchester League side Waterloo in the 1983/84 season when he made just one appearance, He later played for a lengthy spell with Leek Town and when Mossley re-sgned him under Ged Coyne in September 1992 he cost a £250 fee, but was initially understudy to Any Newell. He went on to be voted three times Mossley Player of the Year. Rod retired from semi pro football through injury 2001 after making a total of 200 Mossley appearances, but later continued playing for several years for local side Ashtonians.
Martin White	1990/91 1991/92 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00	173	Goalkeeper signed from Accrington Stanley by John Cooke in December 1990 making 45 Mossley appearances before transferring to Ashton United in December 1992. Re-signed from Cheadle Heath Nomads by Benny Phillips after spells with Curzon Ashton and Flixton in August 1997 making a further 128 Mossley bappearnces in three seasons before transferring to Curzon Ashton in 2000. Became the first Mossley goalkeeper ever to score from open play when he netted in a 3-1 over Nantwich Town in 1999.
Fred Walker	1923/24 1924/25 1925/26 1926/27	163	Goalkeeper signed from Bacup Borough (Rep.Cheshire League). Transferred to Hurst. Previously with Bury and had also played Rugby League for Rochdale Hornets RLFC.
Harry Barnes	1932/33 1933/34 1934/35 1935/36	158	Goalkeeper signed from Manchester amateur side Ferranti's. Mossley's regular keeper for four seasons.
George Smith	1959/60 1960/61 1961/62	139	Former Birmingham City goalkeeper signed by Eddie Quigley from Stalybridge Celtic in August 1959, making 139 Mossley appearances in three seasons before transferred back to Stalybridge Celtic in 1962. He later played for Buxton and Altrincham and then became manager of Stalybridge Celtic and coached in Saudi Arabia and Iceland.
Harry Gregory	1929/30 1930/31 1931/32	139	Goalkeeper formerly with Leeds United but was signed from Bury and was Mossley's regular keeper for three seasons. Later played for Hurst.
Roger Lewis	1984/85 1985/86 1986/87 1987/88	130	Brave and agile former Rossendale United and Winsford United goalkeeper signed from Bolton St.Thomas, transferred to Radcliffe Borough. Re-signed from Radcliffe Borough, transferred to Bacup Borough. Mossley Player of the Year 1984-5.
Geoff Foster	1971/72 1972/73 1973/74	128	Agile goalkeeper signed from Nantwich Town, transferred to Rossendale United. Had the honour of playing in Mossley's last ever Cheshire League game and the first game in the NPL in 1972.
Malcolm Harding	1963/64 1964/65 1967/68 1968/69 1969/70 1970/71	123	Malcolm Harding began his goalkeeping career with Blackpool FC before signing for his local club Ashton United in 1961. He made 108 appearances in 2 seasons for the Robins before joining Don Wilson’s Mossley early in the 1963/64 season. He made 37 appearances including helping the Lilywhites to the Manchester Intermediate Cup Final where they lost to a full strength Bury side. He made a further 44 appearances the following season before he departed for Buxton. He returned to Seel Park in 1967 and made 7 appearances in the 1967-68 season before losing his place to Wyn Dicken. A spell helping out Stalybridge Celtic before returning to Mossley once more making 3 appearances at the beginning of the 1968/69 season due to Dicken’s unavailability and then returning to Ashton United before retiring at the end of the season after making a further 16 appearances for the Robins. However, it was the following season, 1969/70,
Wyn Dicken	1967/68 1968/69 1969/70	119	Agile goalkeeper signed by Don Wilson from Stalybridge Celtic in 1967 making 119 Mossley appearances in three seasons with the club. He was transferred to Buxton in 1970 but joined Witton Albion soon after.
Mike Sherlock	1980/81 1981/82 1982/83	116	Former Coventry City and Altrincham goalkeeper considered to be the best in the Northern Premier League when Bob Murphy signed him from Macclesfield Town as part of deal that also brought Tibor Szabo to Seel Park for a total of £2,500 early in the 1980-81 season. After a shaky start as he attempted to oust long serving John Fitton he eventually settled down to give some stunning displays and many condider him to have been Mossley's best ever keeper. He returned to Macclesfield Town at the end of the 1982-83 season. He won Representative honours with the NPL XI.
Peter Collinge	2009/10 2010/11 2011/12	111	Born on 14th February 1986. 6' 3" goalkeeper signed by Chris Willcock in the close season 2009 from Chorley. Previously with Bury, Accrington Stanley, Clitheroe and Leek Town. Supporters and Players Player of the Year in the 2010/11 season. Departed for spell with Curzon Ahton in the close season of 2011 but returned early in the 2011/12 season. He made only 5 further appearances before moving to Stocksbridge Park Steels in February 2012. Later with Chorley and New Mills.
Bob Foster	1937/38 1938/39 1939/40	93	Born in Bolton on 1st April 1911. Goalkeeper Robert Foster was started his football career with local side Farnworth Standard FC before joining Accrington Stanley making 11 first team appearances. After one season, he joined Southampton of the Second Division, where he was signed as cover for Bert Scriven. In his year at The Dell, he made 36 appearances for the reserves, but only managed one appearance in the first team, in a 2–2 draw against Port Vale on 29 August 1932. In the summer of 1933, Foster moved on to Wrexham where he made 29 appearances between 1933 and 1935 and then to Bury wher he failed to make the first team. He was signed by Oldham Athletic in 1936 and made 11 first-team appearances, finishing on the losing side just once. He finished his career at Mossley where he made a total of 93 appearances.
Dennis Ross	1955/56 1956/57 1957/58	90	former Bury goalkeeper signed from Altrincham in August 1955 making 90 Mossley appearances before he was transferred to Aston Villa for a £250 fee in January 1958 but never appearaed in the Villa first team. Dennis Ross died in 1999.
Rob Hackney	2001/02 2002/03	86	Former Port Vale junior and Stone Dominoes goalkeeper signed from Leek CSOB in August 2001. Transferred to Kidsgrove Athletic in the closed season of 2003. Later with Newcastle Town, Stone Dominoes and Leek Town. He was a member of the Nantwich Town side that won the FA Vase at Wembley Stadium in 2006 and then had later spells with Leek CSOB and Eccleshall.
George Etchells	1920/21 1921/22	86	Regular first choice Mossley goalkeeper for two seasons, Mossley's second and third years in the Cheshire County League.
Don Booth	1965/66 1966/67 1967/68 1970/71	78	Goalkeeper who was signed by Don Wilson from Droylsden in August 1965. Booth was Mossley's regular custodian through two seasons before losing his place to Wyn Dicken. Returning to Droylsden he then retired in 1969. Came out of retirement to help Mossley in the 1970/71 season following Gary Pierce's transfer to Huddersfield Town in February 1971 and made a further 5 appearances up to the signing of John Godfrey in March 1971.
Liam Flynn	2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18	78	Born on 26th May 1992, Liam Flynn is a big capable goalkeeper signed in February 2015 from Stocksbridge Park Steels. He is a former England Colleges captain who has played non league gootball for Hednesford Town, Romulus, Willenhall Town, Sheffield FC, Worksop Town and Goole having begun as a trainee with Shrewsbury Town.
Billy Reed	1918/19 1919/20 1922/23	75	Goalkeeper who was signed in the 1918-19 making 14 Mossley appearances in the Lancashire Combination season. He became Mossley's first professional goalkeeper as he made 33 appearances in the inaugural Cheshire League season of 1919/20. He was transferred to Welsh club Ton Pentre FC in the closed season of 1920 but was re-signed via Hurst and Droylsden in 1922 making 42 further Mossley appearances in the 1922/23 season.
Martin Pearson	2011/12 2012/13	73	Born in Portsmouth on September 17th 1988. Martin Pearson is a talented goalkeeper who was previously with Crystal Palace as a junior and then spent a season with Stalybridge Celtic. He was signed for Mossley by Gareth McClelland from Atherton Laburnum Rovers in the close season of 2011 and made 73 appearances in his two seasons with the club. He was Mossley's 'Players Player of the Year' in 2011/12. He moved to Congleton Town on loan in January 2013 after losing his place to Russell Saunders and made his transfer permanent in the closed season of 2013.
Ron Bailey	1951/52 1952/53 1953/54 1954/55 1955/56	70	Goalkeeper signed by Jack Boothway from Manchester amateur side Miles Platting FC in October 1951. He was Mossley's first choice keeper for the next two seasons before losing his place to Melvyn Jenkins in the 1953/54 season when he made only 4 appearances. He returned to make 2 further appearances in the 1955/56 season.
Lee Bracey	2004/05 2005/06 2006/07	69	Born in Barking, Essex on 11th September 1968. Experienced ex Football League keeper signed from Chorley. Previously served West Ham United, Swansea City (128), Halifax Town (78), Bury (72), Ipswich Town, Hull City (30) and Ossett Albion. Released August 2006 and signed for Ashton United. Later with Rossendale United. He later became a Police Officer.
Gary Pierce	1970/71 1986/87	62	Born in Bury on the 2nd March 1951, Gary Pierce played as a junior for both his home town club and Bolton Wanderers before signing for Mossley as a 19 year old in October 1970 when he replaced the twice retired Malcolm Harding in the Mossley goal. He made his debut for the Lilywhites with a nervous display in a 5-3 win at Hyde United on 31st October 1970 and was rarely tested in the next two games, 4-1 and 5-1 wins over Oswestry Town and Burscough respectively, but then kept four clean sheets in the next five games with some brilliant displays. By now League scouts were flocking to watch him and in his most memorable Mossley game—an FA Trophy tie at Hednesford, he made a string of unbelievable saves as Mossley won 2-0. A performance that persuaded First Division Huddersfield Town to up their interest. Three weeks later and after just 12 games in a Mossley shirt he was transferred to the Terriers for a bargain £2,250 fee. He made 23 first team appearances for Huddersfield over the next two seasons. In 1973, he joined top flight Wolverhampton Wanderers for £45,000. Here, he was largely second choice to Phil Parkes, but after Parkes suffered injury, he played in the 1974 Football League Cup Final. Pierce made a series of outstanding saves in the game, helping Wolves defeat Manchester City 2-1 at Wembley. Pierce was an ever-present in the 1976–77 season as Wolves won the Second Division at the first attempt, but the club bought Paul Bradshaw upon their return, relegating Pierce to reserve status again. He left Molineux in 1979 for Third Division Barnsley, where he played three seasons, before ending his league career with a season at Blackpool. At Blackpool, he made 27 consecutive League appearances during the 1983–84 campaign as Sam Ellis' fourth goalkeeping change in seventeen matches. He took over from the on-loan Barry Siddall (who also later a spell at Mossley) on 26 November 1983, as the Seasiders won 2–1 at Hereford United. His final game for the club occurred on 5 May 1984, a 3–2 defeat at Aldershot. Drew Brand became Blackpool's fifth goalkeeper used that season when he took over for the three remaining League games. His contract was cancelled later that month and his professional career was over at the age of 33. Pierce then returned to non-league football with Accrington Stanley, Rossendale United and Chorley. It was a pleasant surprise when he re-signed for Mossley in the twilight of his career in 1986 and he made 40 appearances for the Lilywhites in the 1986-87 season under the management of Jimmy O’Connor before retiring from playing. Gary had a later spell as manager of Netherfield.
John Evans	1953/54 1954/55	62	Goalkeeper signed from Manchester City in August 1953 and who was regular first choice keeper for two seasons.
Russ Saunders	2012/13 2013/14	58	Bornm on 3rd January 1989. Goalkeeper Russell Saunders began his career as a trainee with Wigan Athletic but was released in 2009 and joined Ashton United. He then had a aspell with Altrincham before joining Hyde FC in 2010 were he was then voted Supporters Player of the Year. He joined Chorley in 2011 and was their regular no.1 throughout the season. He joined Stockport Sports at the start of the 2012/13 season before moving to New Mills in December 2012. His stay with The Millers was a brief one and he joined Mossley in January 2013 replacing Martin Pearson as the Lilywhites first choice keeper.
Ashley Connor	2007/08 2008/09	52	Born on 11th July 1982. Confident and reliable keeper who brings a steadying influence to the defence. Began his career as a junior with Rotherham United and then had spells with Harrogate Town, Spennymoor United and Ashton United. Signed in the close season of 2007 from West Riding Leaguers Marsden.