Alan Groves

Alan Groves

Personal information
Date of birth	(1948-10-24)24 October 1948
Place of birth	Southport, England
Date of death	15 June 1978(1978-06-15) (aged 29)
Place of death	Royton, England
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
-1968	Blowick
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1968-1970	Southport	14	(2)
1971	Chester City	22	(3)
1971-1973	Shrewsbury Town	76	(11)
1973-1974	Bournemouth	36	(4)
1974-1977	Oldham Athletic	140	(12)
1977-1978	Blackpool	15	(1)
Total		303	(33)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alan Groves (24 October 1948 – 15 June 1978) was an English professional footballer. He played as a midfielder.

Groves joined hometown club Southport from Blowick in December 1968 and went on to play for Chester, Shrewsbury Town and AFC Bournemouth before beginning a long spell with Oldham Athletic in February 1974. According to Harry Redknapp, Groves was not happy with the move, and during a match Bournemouth after scoring a goal, Groves dribbled the ball to the Bournemouth dugout and kicked the ball at Trevor Hartley, the manager who had sold him. He made 140 Football League appearances for the Latics until he moved to Blackpool in November 1977, for £30,000. He made his League debut for the club on 26 November 1977, when Blackpool beat Stoke City 2-1. After his first three games he was convinced that he made the best move of his football career, commenting: "Two away wins in three weeks, it's unbelievable. That's as many as we got in two years at Oldham Athletic. Blackpool have some tremendous players, really skilful. I fancy Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur to go up, but if we play like we did at Mansfield Town, we can make it tough for both of them."

Death

Groves had played eleven League games, plus four as substitute, scored one goal, and played in an FA Cup tie for Blackpool before he died of heart failure on 15 June 1978, aged 29.

References

Specific

General

• Profile at Neil Brown's statistics site
• Harry Redknapp on Adebayor Celebration