Percy Ames Explained

Percy Ames
Fullname:Percy Talbot Ames[1]
Birth Date:1931 12, df=y
Birth Place:Bedford, England
Height:[2]
Position:Goalkeeper
Years2:1951–1955
Caps2:0
Goals2:0
Years3:1955–1965
Caps3:397
Goals3:0
Years4:1965–1966
Caps4:10
Goals4:0
Totalcaps:397
Totalgoals:0

Percy Talbot Ames (13 December 1931 – 4 December 1998) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Colchester United, where he made 422 appearances in all competitions between 1955 and 1965. He was also on the books at Tottenham Hotspur but did not make a first-team appearance.

Career

Born in Bedford, Ames began his career at Tottenham Hotspur in 1951 having arrived from now-defunct club Bedford Avenue. He failed to make a first-team appearance for Spurs between 1951 and 1955, and on the advice of the Tottenham first-team and England goalkeeper Ted Ditchburn, Colchester United manager Benny Fenton signed Ames up in 1955 following a short trial.[2]

Ames made his first-team and Football League debut on 20 August 1955 in a 0–0 away draw with Exeter City, where Ames announced his arrival by saving a penalty kick.[3] Over the period of ten years, Ames would make 397 Football League appearances for Colchester[4] and made 422 appearances in all competitions.[1] During one stint, he missed only three league games over a span of seven years, two of which were missed due to a fractured finger. His run included a spell of 224 consecutive games played for the club, starring in FA Cup runs and achieving promotion to the Third Division in the 1961–62 season.[2] [5] Ames was then made inaugural Colchester United Player of the Year at the end of the 1964–65 season, his final season with the club.[6] At one point during his career, West Bromwich Albion came in with an offer for Ames, but keen to keep his custodian, manager Fenton decided not to tell him until two years later.[2]

Ames' final appearance for the club to which he had dedicated ten years came on 26 February 1965, unfortunately for Ames, a 5–0 defeat at the hands of Queens Park Rangers.[7] On leaving the U's, he turned out for non-league Romford before returning to Bedford to play for his hometown club Bedford Town.[2]

Percy Ames died at the age of 66 on 4 December 1998.[1] [2] He was posthumously inducted into the Colchester United 'Hall of Fame' in 2010.[8]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Colchester United1955–56[9] Third Division South44010450
1956–57[10] 46010470
1957–58[11] 46010470
1958–59[12] Third Division46060520
1959–60[13] 46010470
1960–61[14] 4502020490
1961–62[15] Fourth Division4403010480
1962–63[16] Third Division3401020370
1963–64[17] 2000000200
1964–65[18] 2602020300
Career total3970180704220

Honours

Club

Colchester United

Individual

All honours referenced by:[5] [6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Colchester United – Player profile . Coludata.co.uk . 18 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120323133829/http://coludata.co.uk/player.asp?pid=207 . 23 March 2012 . dead .
  2. Book: Whitehead . Jeff . Drury . Kevin . The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years . 2008 . Breedon Books . Derby . 978-1-85983-629-3 . 13.
  3. Web site: Colchester United – Match details – Exeter City 0–0 Colchester Utd . Coludata.co.uk . 18 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090624073003/http://www.coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=596 . 24 June 2009 . dead .
  4. Web site: PERCY AMES . Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database . 18 July 2013.
  5. Web site: League Two (Tier Four) Honours . Coludaybyday.co.uk . 10 February 2013 .
  6. Web site: Colchester United Player of the Season . Coludaybyday.co.uk . 10 February 2013 .
  7. Web site: Colchester United – Match details – Queens Park Rangers 5–0 Colchester Utd . Coludata.co.uk . 18 July 2013 . https://archive.today/20130718233523/http://coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=1080 . 18 July 2013 . dead .
  8. Web site: 2009/10 Committee Inductees . Colchester United FC . 18 July 2013.
  9. Web site: Colchester United – Appearances 1955/1956. Coludata.co.uk. 4 March 2013. https://archive.today/20130420012336/http://www.coludata.co.uk/appearances.asp?sid=15&cid=All&tid=All&act=all. 20 April 2013. dead. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
  10. Web site: Colchester United – Appearances 1956/1957. Coludata.co.uk. 4 March 2013. https://archive.today/20130419212632/http://www.coludata.co.uk/appearances.asp?sid=17&cid=All&tid=All&act=all. 19 April 2013. dead. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
  11. Web site: Colchester United – Appearances 1957/1958. Coludata.co.uk. 4 March 2013. https://archive.today/20130419225300/http://www.coludata.co.uk/appearances.asp?sid=18&cid=All&tid=All&act=all. 19 April 2013. dead. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
  12. Web site: Colchester United – Appearances 1958/1959. Coludata.co.uk. 4 March 2013. https://archive.today/20130420200807/http://www.coludata.co.uk/appearances.asp?sid=19&cid=All&tid=All&act=all. 20 April 2013. dead. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
  13. Web site: Colchester United – Appearances 1959/1960. Coludata.co.uk. 4 March 2013. https://archive.today/20130419222506/http://www.coludata.co.uk/appearances.asp?sid=20&cid=All&tid=All&act=all. 19 April 2013. dead. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
  14. Web site: Colchester United – Appearances 1960/1961. Coludata.co.uk. 4 March 2013. https://archive.today/20130420072550/http://www.coludata.co.uk/appearances.asp?sid=21&cid=All&tid=All&act=all. 20 April 2013. dead. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
  15. Web site: Colchester United – Appearances 1961/1962. Coludata.co.uk. 4 March 2013. https://archive.today/20130419230610/http://www.coludata.co.uk/appearances.asp?sid=22&cid=All&tid=All&act=all. 19 April 2013. dead. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
  16. Web site: Colchester United – Appearances 1962/1963. Coludata.co.uk. 4 March 2013. https://archive.today/20130420031826/http://www.coludata.co.uk/appearances.asp?sid=23&cid=All&tid=All&act=all. 20 April 2013. dead. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
  17. Web site: Colchester United – Appearances 1963/1964. Coludata.co.uk. 4 March 2013. https://archive.today/20130419211318/http://www.coludata.co.uk/appearances.asp?sid=24&cid=All&tid=All&act=all. 19 April 2013. dead. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
  18. Web site: Colchester United – Appearances 1964/1965 . Coludata.co.uk . 4 March 2013 . dead . https://archive.today/20130419220101/http://www.coludata.co.uk/appearances.asp?sid=25&cid=All&tid=All&act=all . 19 April 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.