Keith Kettleborough

Keith Frank Kettleborough (born June 29, 1935 , † November 2, 2009 in Rotherham ) was an English football player and coach.

Athletic career

In his youth, Kettleborough played cricket in addition to soccer . After completing his military service , he joined Rotherham United in December 1955 , where he quickly moved up to the competitive team competing in the Second Division . In the second division, who mainly fought in the lower third of the table against relegation, he established himself two years later as a regular on the offensive and immediately attracted attention.

In December 1960, Kettleborough moved to league rivals Sheffield United for £ 15,000 , in his last game for his old club he pulled down his pants after a missed big chance and the subsequent abuse of the supporters. With his new club, he rose to the First Division at the end of the season . In addition, he reached the semi-finals in the FA Cup 1960/61 with the team , in which they failed only in the second replay at Leicester City . With the club he established himself in the top division, after problems with coach John Harris this sold him in January 1966 to Newcastle United .

In the summer of 1966, Kettleborough, who had not played an international match up to that point , was part of the 40-player provisional squad of the English national team for the 1966 World Cup tournament in their own country . Ultimately, however, he was not part of the 22-player line-up with which coach Alf Ramsey won the title.

In December 1966, Kettleborough followed an offer from third division Doncaster Rovers and was in the Third Division player-coach of the relegation-threatened club. After relegation in the summer of 1967, he had to vacate the coaching post, but initially remained as a player. Within the fourth division , he moved to Chesterfield FC in November of that year . In the summer of 1969 he switched to non-league football at Matlock Town , where he also worked as a player-coach and later ended his active career.

At times Kettleborough had played professional cricket in the Yorkshire League parallel to his football career .

After the end of his career, Kettleborough temporarily ran a dairy business and was a caretaker at a private school. He died in his hometown of Rotherham in the fall of 2009 at the age of 74.

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b c d e f} independent.co.uk: "Keith Kettleborough: Midfielder whose artistry and industriousness put him on the fringes of the 1966 England football squad"
2. ↑ ^{a b} thestar.co.uk: "Tributes paid to Lane star Keith"