Peter Mellor

Peter Mellor

Personal information
Full name	Peter Joseph Mellor
Date of birth	20 November 1947
Place of birth	Prestbury, Cheshire, England
Height	6 ft 1.5 in (1.87 m)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1967–69	Witton Albion
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1969–1972	Burnley	69	(0)
1972	→Chesterfield (loan)	4	(0)
1972–1977	Fulham	190	(0)
1977–1978	Hereford United	32	(0)
1978–1981	Portsmouth	129	(0)
1982	Edmonton Drillers	27	(0)
National team
1966	England Youth	1
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Peter Mellor (born 20 November 1947) is an English former professional footballer (soccer player) whose career spanned three decades. Born in Prestbury, Cheshire,^[1] Mellor won an England Youth cap^[2] whilst with his first club Witton Albion . Tall, fair haired and ever smiling Mellor was soon spotted by Burnley, and quickly became their regular keeper.^[3] The arrival of Alan Stevenson from Chesterfield in January 1971 saw him going in the opposite direction for a loan period at Saltergate,^[4] and from there a month later to Fulham.^[5] Mellor was to make over 200 appearances for the Cottagers in all competitions, including perhaps most memorably an appearance in the 1975 FA Cup Final, during which he was unfortunate enough to be deemed at fault for both West Ham’s two goals. In autumn 1977 he moved to Hereford, but the following close season moved to his final league club, Portsmouth.^[6] Mellor quickly became a hugely popular cult figure at Fratton Park,^[7] keeping the emerging young Alan Knight out of the team long after he was ready.^[8] Mellor ended his playing career in Canada, and now lives and coaches in the United States.^[9][10]

Notes

1. ”Rothmans Football Year Book,1970–71” Peskett,R/ Williams,T: Harpenden, QAP,1970 ISBN 0-362-00071-9
2. He played in a 4–1 victory over Wales on 19 March 1966– AFS DataBase
3. Profile-“He played for both”
4. The PFA Premier League and Football League Players’ Records 1946–98” Hugman,B: Harpenden, Queen Anne Press, 1998 ISBN 1-85291-585-4
5. Soccer Heroes
6. ”Portsmouth, from Tindall to Ball” Farmery, C: Southend-on-Sea, Desert Island Books, 1999 ISBN 1-874287-25-2
7. "Pompey: The History of Portsmouth Football Club" Cooper,M/ Neasom,M/ Robinson,D: Portsmouth, Milestone Publications, 1984 ISBN 0-903852-50-0
8. -”Legend” Knight,A: Fareham, Legendary, 2003 ISBN 0-9526760-1-X
9. US Coaching career
10. Foreword to U.S coaching manual