This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/oct/20/gary-sprake-obituary

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Gary Sprake obituary Gary Sprake obituary
(about 1 month later)
The goalkeeper Gary Sprake, who has died aged 71, was a foundation stone of the great Leeds United side of the late 1960s and early 70s under its legendary manager Don Revie. An ever-present in the football team that took the First Division championship in 1968/69, he also won two Fairs Cup medals in Europe with Leeds during a highly successful 11-year career at Elland Road, and was a mainstay for Wales, with whom he won 37 caps between 1963 and 1974.The goalkeeper Gary Sprake, who has died aged 71, was a foundation stone of the great Leeds United side of the late 1960s and early 70s under its legendary manager Don Revie. An ever-present in the football team that took the First Division championship in 1968/69, he also won two Fairs Cup medals in Europe with Leeds during a highly successful 11-year career at Elland Road, and was a mainstay for Wales, with whom he won 37 caps between 1963 and 1974.
Strong, agile, well-built and craggy of face, Sprake looked as much like a rugged mountaineer as a goalkeeper. Although there were bigger names in that dominant and robust Leeds side, he was more integral to the success of the Revie era than many gave him credit for. During the championship winning season of 1968/69 – the first top flight title for Leeds – he played in all 42 league matches and kept clean sheets in more than half of them.Strong, agile, well-built and craggy of face, Sprake looked as much like a rugged mountaineer as a goalkeeper. Although there were bigger names in that dominant and robust Leeds side, he was more integral to the success of the Revie era than many gave him credit for. During the championship winning season of 1968/69 – the first top flight title for Leeds – he played in all 42 league matches and kept clean sheets in more than half of them.
As is the lot of many goalkeepers – even the best – Sprake was sometimes remembered more for his mistakes than his regular brilliance. Thanks to an outbreak of blunders – one of which involved him throwing the ball into his own net in front of the Kop when playing against Liverpool in 1967 – he was often referred to on the terraces as “careless hands”. Nonetheless he was widely acknowledged, even by jeering opposition fans, to be one of the outstanding goalkeepers of his time.As is the lot of many goalkeepers – even the best – Sprake was sometimes remembered more for his mistakes than his regular brilliance. Thanks to an outbreak of blunders – one of which involved him throwing the ball into his own net in front of the Kop when playing against Liverpool in 1967 – he was often referred to on the terraces as “careless hands”. Nonetheless he was widely acknowledged, even by jeering opposition fans, to be one of the outstanding goalkeepers of his time.
Born in Winch Wen, a suburb of Swansea, Sprake was spotted by Leeds when playing for Swansea schoolboys and, after joining as an apprentice in 1960, made his debut in the Second Division in 1962. Within 18 months he had won his first international cap, at the age of 18 – the youngest keeper to play for Wales.Born in Winch Wen, a suburb of Swansea, Sprake was spotted by Leeds when playing for Swansea schoolboys and, after joining as an apprentice in 1960, made his debut in the Second Division in 1962. Within 18 months he had won his first international cap, at the age of 18 – the youngest keeper to play for Wales.
Quickly establishing himself as a regular under Revie, he helped Leeds to promotion in 1963/64, after which they immediately forged themselves into perennial First Division championship contenders. Sprake won a League Cup winners’ medal in 1968 when Leeds beat Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley, and was outstanding in the two-legged final of the Fairs Cup (a forerunner of the Uefa Cup) against the Hungarian side Ferencváros later that year, making a series of reflex saves as Leeds won 1-0 on aggregate. After the First Division championship in 1968/69, he picked up another Fairs Cup winners’ medal in 1971, in victory against Juventus on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.Quickly establishing himself as a regular under Revie, he helped Leeds to promotion in 1963/64, after which they immediately forged themselves into perennial First Division championship contenders. Sprake won a League Cup winners’ medal in 1968 when Leeds beat Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley, and was outstanding in the two-legged final of the Fairs Cup (a forerunner of the Uefa Cup) against the Hungarian side Ferencváros later that year, making a series of reflex saves as Leeds won 1-0 on aggregate. After the First Division championship in 1968/69, he picked up another Fairs Cup winners’ medal in 1971, in victory against Juventus on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.
By the following season, however, Revie was beginning to turn to a new goalkeeper, David Harvey, and Sprake did not play when Leeds won the 1972 FA Cup final against Arsenal. In 1973, after 380 league appearances for the club, he was transferred for £100,000 – then a world record fee for a goalkeeper – to First Division Birmingham City, where a serious back injury forced him to retire at the age of 30, in 1975.By the following season, however, Revie was beginning to turn to a new goalkeeper, David Harvey, and Sprake did not play when Leeds won the 1972 FA Cup final against Arsenal. In 1973, after 380 league appearances for the club, he was transferred for £100,000 – then a world record fee for a goalkeeper – to First Division Birmingham City, where a serious back injury forced him to retire at the age of 30, in 1975.
Three years later Sprake jumped back into the headlines when he made allegations in the Daily Mirror that Revie had consistently tried to fix matches and bribe opposition players across his career. No criminal or FA charges ever arose from the accusations, for which Sprake was paid a considerable sum of money by the Mirror, and his whistleblowing efforts earned him the deep opprobrium both of his former teammates – most of whom refused to speak to him again – and many Leeds fans.Three years later Sprake jumped back into the headlines when he made allegations in the Daily Mirror that Revie had consistently tried to fix matches and bribe opposition players across his career. No criminal or FA charges ever arose from the accusations, for which Sprake was paid a considerable sum of money by the Mirror, and his whistleblowing efforts earned him the deep opprobrium both of his former teammates – most of whom refused to speak to him again – and many Leeds fans.
However, Sprake stuck to his guns and settled down to live with the consequences. “I said something wrong about the great man, even though I still think he was a great manager,” he told the BBC in 2012. “I broke ranks and I’ve lived with it for more than 30 years now. It doesn’t really bother me.”However, Sprake stuck to his guns and settled down to live with the consequences. “I said something wrong about the great man, even though I still think he was a great manager,” he told the BBC in 2012. “I broke ranks and I’ve lived with it for more than 30 years now. It doesn’t really bother me.”
After lengthy treatment for longstanding back problems, which never fully receded, Sprake had no desire to remain in football, and worked first as a salesman and then for many years training business and information technology students in Solihull in the West Midlands.After lengthy treatment for longstanding back problems, which never fully receded, Sprake had no desire to remain in football, and worked first as a salesman and then for many years training business and information technology students in Solihull in the West Midlands.
In 2006 he provided support for a biography written by his nephew Stuart Sprake, self-deprecatingly agreeing to its title, Careless Hands. In 2006 he provided support for a biography written by his nephew Stuart Sprake and Tim Johnson, self-deprecatingly agreeing to its title, Careless Hands.
• Gary Sprake, footballer, born 3 April 1945; died 18 October 2016• Gary Sprake, footballer, born 3 April 1945; died 18 October 2016