Johnny Goodchild Explained

Johnny Goodchild
Fullname:John Goodchild[1]
Birth Date:2 January 1939
Birth Place:Sherburn Hill, County Durham, England
Death Place:Durham
Position:Inside forward
Youthyears1:
Youthclubs1:Ludworth Juniors
Years1:1957–1961
Clubs1:Sunderland
Caps1:44
Goals1:21
Years2:1961–1966
Caps2:163
Goals2:44
Years3:1966–1967
Clubs3:York City
Caps3:29
Goals3:6
Years4:1967–1968
Clubs4:Darlington
Caps4:2
Goals4:0
Years5:
Clubs5:Goole Town

Johnny Goodchild (2 January 1939 – 25 August 2011) was a professional footballer who scored 71 goals from 238 appearances in the Football League playing as an inside forward for Sunderland, Brighton & Hove Albion, York City and Darlington.[2]

Career

Goodchild was born in Sherburn Hill, County Durham. He worked as a miner and played for Ludworth Juniors before signing for Sunderland.[3] He scored on his first-team debut, on 4 September 1957 in a 3–2 home defeat of Leicester City in the First Division, and produced 16 goals the following season.[4] He then fell out of favour, and, despite scoring a hat-trick away at Leeds United in February 1961, his first game of the 1960–61 season, never appeared for the club again. Goodchild remembers "thinking to myself that if I couldn't get into the team after scoring a hat-trick away from home, I'd be on the transfer list at the end of the season. That's exactly what happened."[3]

He joined Second Division club Brighton & Hove Albion, and in his first season with the club, was their joint-top scorer (alongside Bobby Laverick and Tony Nicholas) with 10 goals in all competitions. Two years later, by which time the club had been twice relegated and were now playing in Division Four, he was top scorer on his own, with 15 goals in all competitions.[5] In 1964–65, Goodchild was one of six goalscorers to reach double figures as Albion won the Fourth Division title.[6]

He returned to the north of England in 1966, spending a season with York City and a brief spell with Darlington.[2]

Goodchild was a keen cricketer. He first played for his village side, in Littletown, at 14, and appeared for Durham Second XI in 1959.[7] [8] He played cricket for many years in the Durham County League for Ushaw Moor CC.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Tim . Carder . Roger . Harris . Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C . 1997 . Goldstone Books . Hove . 96 . 0-9521337-1-7 . amp.
  2. Web site: John Goodchild . UK A–Z Transfers . Neil Brown . 9 July 2010.
  3. News: Hero To Zero For Goodchild . . 25 July 2005 . 9 July 2010.
  4. Web site: Player Details: John Goodchild . The StatCat . 9 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080516093126/http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Mplayers/MPG367.asp . 16 May 2008 . dmy-all .
  5. Carder & Harris, Albion A–Z, p. 338.
  6. News: Albion Icons: The Fiery Captain Who Loved A Good Punch Up . https://archive.today/20120712163039/http://archive.theargus.co.uk/2001/7/2/175773.html . dead . 12 July 2012 . . Brighton . 2 July 2001 . 9 July 2010 .
  7. News: Littletown all out after 120 years . https://web.archive.org/web/20090524162456/http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/columnists/mikeamos/backtrack/ . dead . 24 May 2009 . Mike . Amos . The Northern Echo . 23 March 2007 . 24 October 2010 .
  8. Web site: Durham Second XI v Northumberland Second XI in 1959 . CricketArchive . 9 July 2010.