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Gordon West
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gordon West (born April 24, 1943) is a former English footballer.
He made his debut for Blackpool at the age of 17. After 33 games for Blackpool he signed for Everton for £27,000 in March 1962, replacing Albert Dunlop. He was a regular in the Everton teams that won championship in 1962-3 and in 1969-70 and the FA Cup in 1966.
West was an athletic and reliable goalkeeper and probably ranks alongside Ted Sagar and Neville Southall as one of the best Everton goalkeepers. West had a good rapport with Liverpool fans. It became traditional at Anfield 'derby' matches for a Liverpool fan to jump from the Kop and present West with a handbag before the match. West, along with Chelsea's Peter Bonetti, specialised in a one-armed throw which could reach similar distances to a drop kick. During long periods of inactivity he would often occupy himself by cleaning the mud off his boots on his goalposts. At the end of a match, all four posts would bear signs that Gordon West had been there!
West won three caps for England, though turned down a place in the 1970 FIFA World Cup squad because he wanted to stay at home with his family.
He made 402 appearances for Everton and retired in 1973. He played briefly for Tranmere Rovers in 1975. After giving up football, West worked in security at RAF Woodvale but has since retired.