Nigel Sims
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nigel Sims | ||
| Date of birth | 9 August 1931 | ||
| Place of birth | Coton in the Elms, England | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 194x–1948 | Stapenhill | ||
| 1948–1956 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 38 | (0) |
| 1956–1964 | Aston Villa | 264 | (0) |
| 1963 | Toronto City | ||
| 1964–1965 | Peterborough United | 16 | (0) |
| 1967 | Toronto Falcons | 2 | (0) |
| – | Toronto Italia | ||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
David Nigel Sims (born 9 August 1931), known as Nigel Sims, is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Peterborough United in the 1950s and 1960s.[1]
Sims was born at Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire. He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Stapenhill in August 1948 as understudy to Bert Williams, and made his first-team debut on 18 April 1949 in a 1–1 draw with Sheffield United in the First Division.[2] While a National Serviceman in 1950, Sims played for the Army in a representative match against an Irish Football Association XI.[3] During his eight seasons at Wolves he only made 39 appearances[4] before transferring to Midlands rivals Aston Villa in March 1956.[5] He made his debut against Burnley that same month.
He was on the winning side in the 1957 FA Cup Final, in which Villa beat Manchester United 2–1,[6] followed three years later by a Second Division winners' medal. In 1961, he helped Villa lift the inaugural League Cup.[7]
He played representative matches for the Football League,[8] and in 1958, was the first winner of Aston Villa supporters' 'Terrace Trophy'.[9]
In September 1964, having lost his place in the side, he transferred to Peterborough United. He appeared only 16 times for them before trying his luck in Canada, having already spent a summer with Toronto City. He appeared twice for the Toronto Falcons in the National Professional Soccer League,[10] and also played for Toronto Italia.
In Safe Hands, a book about his footballing memories was published in August 2012.[11]
References
- ↑ "Nigel Sims". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ↑ "Team Details: 1948–1949". Wolves-Stats. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ↑ Glass, George (12 April 2009). "13 September 1950". Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ↑ "Players. A–Z". Wolves-Stats. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ↑ "Sims, Nigel David". Aston Villa Player Database. Jörn Mårtensson. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ↑ Fort, Didier (15 February 2006). "England – FA Cup Finals 1946–2000". RSSSF. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ↑ Fort, Didier (25 February 2001). "England – League Cup Finals 1961–2001". RSSSF. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ↑ "Young Football League Team. Change of Policy Justified". The Times. 23 September 1957. p. 13.
- ↑ "Lions Roar at Awards". Aston Villa F.C. 28 May 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ↑ "North American Soccer League Players Nigel Sims". NASL Jerseys. Dave Morrison. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ↑ "In Safe Hands: Nigel Sims' Football Memories". Retrieved 9 September 2012.
External links
- NPSL stats and photo at NASL Jerseys
- League stats at Neil Brown's site