Percy Ames

Percy Ames

Personal information
Full name	Percy Talbot Ames[1]
Date of birth	13 December 1931[1]
Place of birth	Bedford, England[1]
Date of death	4 December 1998 (aged 66)[1]
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
	Bedford Avenue
1951–1955	Tottenham Hotspur	0	(0)
1955–1965	Colchester United	397	(0)
	Romford
	Bedford Town
Total		397	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

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

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Colchester United	1955–56[9]	Third Division South	44	0	1	0	–		45	0
	1956–57[10]		46	0	1	0	–		47	0
	1957–58[11]		46	0	1	0	–		47	0
	1958–59[12]	Third Division	46	0	6	0	–		52	0
	1959–60[13]		46	0	1	0	–		47	0
	1960–61[14]		45	0	2	0	2	0	49	0
	1961–62[15]	Fourth Division	44	0	3	0	1	0	48	0
	1962–63[16]	Third Division	34	0	1	0	2	0	37	0
	1963–64[17]		20	0	0	0	0	0	20	0
	1964–65[18]		26	0	2	0	2	0	30	0
Career total			397	0	18	0	7	0	422	0

Honours

Club

Colchester United

• 1961–62 Football League Fourth Division runner-up (level 4)

Individual

• 1965 Colchester United Player of the Year

All honours referenced by:^[5][6]

References

1. "Colchester United – Player profile". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
2. Whitehead, Jeff; Drury, Kevin (2008). The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-85983-629-3.
3. "Colchester United – Match details – Exeter City 0–0 Colchester Utd". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
4. "PERCY AMES". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
5. "League Two (Tier Four) Honours". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
6. "Colchester United Player of the Season". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
7. "Colchester United – Match details – Queens Park Rangers 5–0 Colchester Utd". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
8. "2009/10 Committee Inductees". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
9. "Colchester United – Appearances 1955/1956". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
10. "Colchester United – Appearances 1956/1957". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
11. "Colchester United – Appearances 1957/1958". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
12. "Colchester United – Appearances 1958/1959". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
13. "Colchester United – Appearances 1959/1960". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
14. "Colchester United – Appearances 1960/1961". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
15. "Colchester United – Appearances 1961/1962". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
16. "Colchester United – Appearances 1962/1963". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
17. "Colchester United – Appearances 1963/1964". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.
18. "Colchester United – Appearances 1964/1965". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Select competition required via dropdown menu.

External links

• Profile at Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database