Brian Keeble passes away

By Ray Simpson

Brian Keeble passes away

[caption id="attachment_15821" align="alignnone" width="197"] Brian Keeble[/caption]The club is sad...

[caption id="attachment_15821" align="alignnone" width="197"]Brian Keeble Brian Keeble[/caption]

The club is sad to announce that Brian Keeble, who was a regular at left full back in the club's 1965-66 promotion winning team, has died aged 77.

Brian was a popular player at the club, and was close friends with right back John Peverell who said; "I called him Mr Steady, because you could always rely on him."

Brian was interviewed in the Farewell to Feethams book about his career at Feethams, and the piece is reproduced below.

 

Brian was one of the new signings brought to the club by Lol Morgan at the start of season 65-66.

Brian made nearly 200 appearances for his previous club, Grimsby Town, between 1959 and 1965, and Morgan wanted him as a left back to strengthen Quakers’ promotion campaign. John Peverell played on the other side of the defence at right back.

However, the move didn’t quite go to plan. “I moved house to Darlington from Cleethorpes, but on the day we were due to move, the removal van didn’t show up. We had a young baby, who was only six months old, so Lol said we could stay at his house while it was all sorted out!”

Brian was an ever-present in the league that season, and played a key part in the shock 2-1 win at Blackpool in the third round of the Football League Cup on October 13th 1965.

“Blackpool had a full strength side out that night, and included players like Alan Ball and Jimmy Armfield. I put in one crunching tackle on Alan Ball – he was expecting me to pull out of it. Jimmy Armfield was a real gentleman. After the game, he came into our dressing room and congratulated us. There was a big celebration that night.”

In those days, it wasn’t unusual to play teams home and away over holiday periods, and Quakers played Doncaster on Good Friday and Easter Saturday. They beat Doncaster at Feethams by 3-2, and the following day they travelled to Belle Vue.

“Lol was delayed on his way to the game in all the traffic, and missed the start of it. We got off to a really bad start and by the time he got there, we were 3-0 down. I think he believed that we would do all right until he arrived!” Quakers lost the game 6-3.

Brian only scored one goal that season, but it was a crucial one, the decider at Colchester six games from the end of the season. “Both teams were going well at the time – I think they were just above us in the league.

“We were pushed on the defensive for most of the game, but when we had a corner, I was caught a little bit upfield. Colchester broke to our end, and they had a shot which keeper Tony Moor saved. He threw it to me about midway inside our half, and I just ran towards their box and whacked the ball into the top corner.

“I was surprised at half time, because Lol gave me a ticking off for being so far upfield when I was expecting a few words of congratulation instead!”

 

 

The club would like to pass on its deep condolences to Brian's family.

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