Eddie Shimwell
Encyclopedia
Edmund "Eddie" Shimwell (27 February 1920 — October 1988) was an English
professional football
er.
, Derbyshire
, Shimwell was a trainee with Sheffield United
in 1939, but failed to break into the first team before the outbreak of World War II
. In 1943–44, he made 15 guest appearances for Southampton
.
Shimwell began his professional career with Sheffield United
in 1946, but on 20 December he made the move to the club with which he made his name, Blackpool
. The Blades had refused Shimwell permission to run a pub
— the Plough Inn, in Two Dales — which prompted him to put in a transfer request. Blackpool manager Joe Smith jumped in to sign the full-back for £7,000.
His debut for Blackpool was supposed to be against Charlton Athletic
, the day after his signing, but it was put back after his train got stuck in snow, which meant he didn't arrive at The Valley until half-time. His first game came four days later, on Christmas Day, against Blackburn Rovers
at Ewood Park
. He replaced Eric Sibley
, and from that moment he made the right-back position his own.
Shimwell scored two important FA Cup
goals for Blackpool; the first, against Chester City
on 24 January 1948, was a 60-yard lob, the combination of a following wind and frozen pitch saw it bounce over the goalkeeper's head. Blackpool reached that year's final, in which they met eventual victors Manchester United
, and Shimwell became the first full-back to score in such a Wembley
event when his 12th-minute penalty gave Blackpool the lead.
Shimwell played in two more FA Cup Final
s with Blackpool, firstly in 1951 against Newcastle United
(in which they were on the losing side again, thanks to a Jackie Milburn
double), and then in 1953
, the famous "Matthews Final" Blackpool victory.
On 13 May 1949, at the age of 29, Shimwell gained his only England
cap, against Sweden
.
A dislocated shoulder, suffered in a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers
at Bloomfield Road
on September 17, 1955, meant Shimwell was out for the rest of the season. Indeed, he made only one more start for the Seasiders, on 19 January 1957, at home to Sunderland, but it gave the Blackpool faithful amongst the 18,702 present the chance to say farewell to the defender after thirteen years of service. In May, Shimwell was given a free transfer to Third Division
Oldham Athletic. He played only seven games for the club before joining Burton Albion
as player-manager. He finished his playing career while at Matlock Town
in 1960.
at The Royal Volunteer, a pub in Clay Cross
, Derbyshire.
Shimwell died in 1988 at the age of 68.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er.
Playing career
Born in BirchoverBirchover
Birchover is a village and civil parish in the Peak District National Park, in Derbyshire, England. It is about five miles north-west of Matlock, and according to the 2001 UK census had a population of 362...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, Shimwell was a trainee with Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
in 1939, but failed to break into the first team before the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1943–44, he made 15 guest appearances for Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
.
Shimwell began his professional career with Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
in 1946, but on 20 December he made the move to the club with which he made his name, Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
. The Blades had refused Shimwell permission to run a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
— the Plough Inn, in Two Dales — which prompted him to put in a transfer request. Blackpool manager Joe Smith jumped in to sign the full-back for £7,000.
His debut for Blackpool was supposed to be against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, the day after his signing, but it was put back after his train got stuck in snow, which meant he didn't arrive at The Valley until half-time. His first game came four days later, on Christmas Day, against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
. He replaced Eric Sibley
Eric Sibley
Eric Seymour Sibley was a professional footballer who played as a defender for Bournemouth, Blackpool, Grimsby Town and Chester.-Blackpool:...
, and from that moment he made the right-back position his own.
Shimwell scored two important FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
goals for Blackpool; the first, against Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
on 24 January 1948, was a 60-yard lob, the combination of a following wind and frozen pitch saw it bounce over the goalkeeper's head. Blackpool reached that year's final, in which they met eventual victors Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, and Shimwell became the first full-back to score in such a Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
event when his 12th-minute penalty gave Blackpool the lead.
Shimwell played in two more FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
s with Blackpool, firstly in 1951 against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
(in which they were on the losing side again, thanks to a Jackie Milburn
Jackie Milburn
John Edward Thompson 'Jackie' Milburn, , also known to fans as Wor Jackie and 'the first World Wor' in reference to his global fame, was a football player for Newcastle United and England...
double), and then in 1953
FA Cup Final 1953
The 1953 FA Cup Final, also known as the Matthews Final, was the eighth to be held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War. The football match was contested between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers, with Blackpool winning 4-3. The match became famous for the performance of Blackpool winger...
, the famous "Matthews Final" Blackpool victory.
On 13 May 1949, at the age of 29, Shimwell gained his only England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
cap, against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
.
A dislocated shoulder, suffered in a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
on September 17, 1955, meant Shimwell was out for the rest of the season. Indeed, he made only one more start for the Seasiders, on 19 January 1957, at home to Sunderland, but it gave the Blackpool faithful amongst the 18,702 present the chance to say farewell to the defender after thirteen years of service. In May, Shimwell was given a free transfer to Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
Oldham Athletic. He played only seven games for the club before joining Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
as player-manager. He finished his playing career while at Matlock Town
Matlock Town F.C.
Matlock Town F.C. is an English football club based at Causeway Lane in Matlock, Derbyshire.-History:The club was established in the late 1870s and have competed in the Central Alliance and the Midland Counties League before reaching the Northern Premier League.In the 1974–75 season the club won...
in 1960.
Retirement
After hanging up his boots, Shimwell became licenseeLicensee
A licensee is someone who has been granted a licence.- Tort law :The term is used in the USA law of torts to describe a person who is on the property of another, despite the fact that the property is not open to the general public, because the owner of the property has allowed the licensee to enter...
at The Royal Volunteer, a pub in Clay Cross
Clay Cross
Clay Cross is a former mining town and civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England, about six miles south of Chesterfield. It is directly on the A61, the former Roman road Ryknield Street...
, Derbyshire.
Shimwell died in 1988 at the age of 68.
Honours
Blackpool- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winner: 1953FA Cup Final 1953The 1953 FA Cup Final, also known as the Matthews Final, was the eighth to be held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War. The football match was contested between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers, with Blackpool winning 4-3. The match became famous for the performance of Blackpool winger... - Lancashire Cup winner: 1954