| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Derek Gilbert Ufton | ||||||||||||||
| Born | (1928-05-31)31 May 1928 Crayford,Kent, England | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 27 March 2021(2021-03-27) (aged 92) | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft11+1⁄2 in (1.82 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicket-keeper | ||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||
| 1949–1962 | Kent | ||||||||||||||
| FC debut | 23 July 1949 Kent v Warwickshire | ||||||||||||||
| LastFC | 2 June 1962 Kent v Warwickshire | ||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Source:CricInfo,27 March 2021 | |||||||||||||||
Derek Gilbert Ufton (31 May 1928 – 27 March 2021) was an English professionalcricketer andfootballer, and later a football manager. Playing professionally forKent County Cricket Club as awicket-keeper andCharlton Athletic Football Club, Ufton won a single international cap for theEngland national football team in 1953. He went on to managePlymouth Argyle. At the time of his death, in March 2021 at the age of 92, he was England's oldest living international footballer.[2][3][4]
Ufton was born atCrayford inKent in 1928. After winning a scholarship, he was educated atDartford Grammar School[5] where his PE teacher was Joe Jagger, the father of future rock starMick Jagger. Growing up duringWorld War II, Ufton worked in a shipping office in London during the later part of the war. His mother was killed in an air raid in 1944.[4][5]
He completed hisnational service in theRoyal Army Service Corps inAldershot after the end of the war, playing cricket for the RASC[5] and football for Army sides alongsideJimmy Hill. He shared a flat with Hill in London after being demobilised and went on to meetMalcolm Allison, who he remained friends with. This meeting led to him signing as a professional for Charlton Athletic Football Club in 1949, having been also offered a trial atCardiff City.[4][5][6]
A keen sportsman, Ufton playedfirst-class cricket forKent County Cricket Club between 1949 and 1962 as awicket-keeper batsman.[3][7] He had first played for the county's Second XI in 1945 and was awarded his Second XI cap in 1946, but his period of national service meant he did not make his First XI debut until 1949.[5][8] He scored almost 4,000 runs for the side, keeping wicket as a replacement for England international wicket-keeperGodfrey Evans. In 1961, his most successful season statistically, he scored 668 runs for Kent and took 90 dismissals[3] and made his only first-class appearance for a non-Kent side, playing for anMCC side againstScotland.[8] His only first-class century, a score of 119not out was made againstSussex atHastings in 1952.[5][9]
Ufton was awarded his Kentcounty cap in 1956 and continued playing for he county's Second XI after he dropped out of the First XI during 1962, often captaining the side until 1966.[3][8] He was awarded a benefit season in 1963 and later served on Kent's General Committee and was the club's president in 1991.[3][5] He played club cricket forDartford Cricket Club, continuing to be involved with the club throughout his life.[10]
Ufton made 277 appearances, primarily as acentre half, forCharlton Athletic between 1949 and 1960.[2][3][6] He was notorious for shoulder injuries, and dislocated his at least 20 times during his football career.[2][6] He gained his onlyEngland cap in 1953, against a team from the Rest of Europe.[2][3]
He was captain of Charlton inthe record-setting match againstHuddersfield Town atThe Valley on 21 December 1957. Charlton played most of the match with 10 men after Ufton broke his collar bone, and Huddersfield were leading 5–1 with just 27 minutes remaining.[5][11] At that point,Johnny Summers began a passage of play in which he scored five goals and assisted with two others to allow Charlton to win 7–6. Huddersfield become thefirst, and still the only, team to score six goals in an English Football League match – or any other professional football match – and still be on the losing side.[11]
Ufton's playing career was ended by injury in 1960. He then became a coach atTooting & Mitcham United in 1961, where he stayed until joiningMalcolm Allison as a coach atPlymouth Argyle during the1964–65 season. He replaced Allison as manager in 1965, managing the club in 117 matches before leaving in 1968.[5][12] He served as a director of Charlton between 1984 and 2009.[5]
Ufton married twice, his first marriage ending in divorce. He had five children.[4] After his playing career he worked as a sporting activities director at the Sportsman Casino in London[5] and was the national chairman of theLord's Taverners cricket charity.[13]
In later life he lived atElham betweenCanterbury andFolkestone.[14] Ufton died at the age of 92 in March 2021.[3]