Trevor Ford
Encyclopedia
Trevor Ford was a Welsh
international centre forward footballer who played for Aston Villa
, Cardiff City
, Sunderland
and Swansea Town
. He was born and died in Swansea
.
when he signed for 'Bank of England' club Sunderland for £30,000 from Aston Villa
. He was a footballing celebrity at the time due to his prolific scoring record. He made 128 appearances for Villa between January 1947 and October 1950 scoring 61 goals.
At Sunderland, he failed to gel on the pitch with team-mate and former record-breaking signing, Len Shackleton
. He signed for Cardiff City
in December 1953 for £29,500, a club record fee at the time. He spent three years at the club before retiring, aged 33.
Ford still holds the club record for the fastest goal scored, which he set on 23 October 1954 against Charlton Athletic
, after just fifteen seconds. After leaving the club in 1956, he revealed in his autobiography that he was involved in an illegal-payments scandal while at Sunderland, which saw the club suffer heavy financial penalties; Ford was temporarily suspended from the game.
Ford decided to come out of retirement, but with the suspension in place, he was forced to look overseas for a club, signing for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. He eventually won his case for reinstatement, returning to The Football League
with a brief spell at Newport County
. He ended a long career playing his football at Romford
.
He was capped 38 times for Wales
, becoming their all-time joint aggregate goal scorer with 23 goals. He was not included in the Welsh squad for the 1958 World Cup, following his suspension from the game; his last international appearance had come the previous year.
in their County Championship match against Nottinghamshire
at St. Helen's, Swansea in the match during which Sir Garfield Sobers hit his world record six sixes from an over bowled by Malcolm Nash
.
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
international centre forward footballer who played for Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and Swansea Town
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
. He was born and died in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
.
Football career
In October 1950, 27-year-old Ford was the subject of British football transfer recordBritish football transfer record
The progression of the British football transfer fee record tracks the increases in the record for the highest transfer fee paid or received by British association football clubs. A transfer fee is the sum of money paid by one club to purchase the contract, and therefore the playing services, of a...
when he signed for 'Bank of England' club Sunderland for £30,000 from Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. He was a footballing celebrity at the time due to his prolific scoring record. He made 128 appearances for Villa between January 1947 and October 1950 scoring 61 goals.
At Sunderland, he failed to gel on the pitch with team-mate and former record-breaking signing, Len Shackleton
Len Shackleton
Leonard Francis Shackleton, was an English footballer of the post-World War II period. Known as the Clown Prince of Football, he is generally regarded as one of English football's finest ever entertainers....
. He signed for Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in December 1953 for £29,500, a club record fee at the time. He spent three years at the club before retiring, aged 33.
Ford still holds the club record for the fastest goal scored, which he set on 23 October 1954 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,...
, after just fifteen seconds. After leaving the club in 1956, he revealed in his autobiography that he was involved in an illegal-payments scandal while at Sunderland, which saw the club suffer heavy financial penalties; Ford was temporarily suspended from the game.
Ford decided to come out of retirement, but with the suspension in place, he was forced to look overseas for a club, signing for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. He eventually won his case for reinstatement, returning to The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
with a brief spell at Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
. He ended a long career playing his football at Romford
Romford F.C.
Romford F.C. is an English football club based in Romford, Greater London. The club are currently members of Division One North of the Isthmian League, and play at Mill Field in Aveley.-History:...
.
He was capped 38 times for Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
, becoming their all-time joint aggregate goal scorer with 23 goals. He was not included in the Welsh squad for the 1958 World Cup, following his suspension from the game; his last international appearance had come the previous year.
Cricket career
In 1968, Ford briefly acted as a substitute fielder for GlamorganGlamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
in their County Championship match against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
at St. Helen's, Swansea in the match during which Sir Garfield Sobers hit his world record six sixes from an over bowled by Malcolm Nash
Malcolm Nash
Malcolm Nash, is a Welsh cricket coach and former first-class cricketer.- Glamorgan Cricketer :Born in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Nash was a left arm medium pace bowler who played largely for Glamorgan....
.