*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Alan Blackburn
Appearances: 211 Goals: 121
Date / Year of birth: 4th August 1935
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 1961/62
Season of last appearance: 1964/65
Also played for: West Ham United (17,3), Halifax Town (133,35), Wellington Town and Knightley
Prolific marksman born in Pleasley, Mansfield who was particularly noted for his heading ability, a knack of seemingly being able to 'hang' in the air and deadly left-foot shooting.
Alan was a 'Barnado's Boy' who started his career at West Ham having been spotted playing in Hertfordshire junior football. He signed professional forms for the Hammers aged 17. He caused a sensation by scoring 13 goals in the 1953/54 FA Youth Cup and then helped the reserve team win the Combination title.
Alan went on to make his first team debut in the 2nd Division in December 1954. At the time he was the youngest player ever to play for West Ham's senior side. He stayed at Upton Park until November 1957 and made a total of 17 first team appearances, scoring three times.
Alan was then sold to Halifax for £7,000 where he stayed for three and a half years before joining Margate in the summer of 1961.
Alan made his debut on 19.8.61 as Margate lost 1-0 to Wisbech at Hartsdown Park - it was the opening day of the 1961/62 Southern League campaign. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3-0 home win over Rugby on 23.8.61 and it was the start of an excellent season for Alan. He impressed with his speed and intelligent play, as well as with his outstanding opportunism. He scored 30 times in 60 appearances, making him the club's top scorer for 1961/62. On 4.11.61 Alan got one of the goals as Margate pulled off a famous 3-0 victory at Bournemouth & Boscombe in the 1st Round of the FA Cup and he also featured in the 2nd Round tie against Notts County at Hartsdown Park on 25.11.61 which ended in a 1-1 draw. Alan then got the Margate goal in the replay at Notts County on 30.11.61 which the home side won 3-1.
Many of his goals were scored with his head and the best of them was a diving header in a 3-1 win over Bexleyheath & Welling at Hartsdown Park on 28.4.62. Alan also scored as Margate went down 2-1 to Cambridge United in the 2nd Leg of the Southern League Cup Final on 14.4.62 and got two more goals in a 4-0 win over visitors Folkestone in the Kent Senior Shield Final on 12.5.62.
The 1962/63 season was an even better one for Alan and he was top scorer once again as Margate won the Southern League Division One title. He scored 37 times in 57 outings and as usual many of Alan's goals were headers which prompted the local paper to say that he "had springs instead of skin" on his feet. On 3.11.62 he was in the Margate side that lost 3-1 at Millwall in the FA Cup 1st Round.
On 25.3.63 Alan scored a hat-trick, one of them a diving header, in a 3-2 win over Dover and he also fired in a 25 yarder in a 1-1 draw at Hastings on 15.4.63. On 7.5.63 he played as Margate won 2-0 at Maidstone in the 1st Leg of the Kent Floodlight Cup Final and Alan then scored in the 2nd Leg at Hartsdown Park on 13.5.63 which Margate won 3-0 to claim the trophy. He notched another hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Trowbridge on 18.5.63 and on 1.6.63 Alan was in the team that beat visitors Bexleyheath & Welling 1-0 in the Kent Senior Shield Final. During the course of the season he gave up his job and helped out with groundsman duties and odd jobs around Hartsdown Park.
The 1963/64 campaign saw Alan finish as Margate's top scorer for the third season in a row. He scored 28 times in 49 appearances and his goals included four in a 5-0 home win over Kettering in the Southern League on 7.9.63. As usual Alan's tally featured a high proportion of headers and the best of them was a diving effort in a 2-2 draw with Bexley at Hartsdown Park on 28.10.63. On 16.11.63 he scored in a 2-2 draw at Brentford in the FA Cup 1st Round and Alan also played in the replay at Hartsdown Park on 20.11.63 that the Bees won 2-0. During the course of the season he started a window-cleaning business in partnership with Bob Harrop.
Alan was troubled by a knee injury during the 1964/65 campaign and missed more than 20 matches as a result but his goalscoring instincts remained intact. His first goal of a brace in a 2-1 win at Dartford on 7.9.64 was Alan's 100th for the club making him only the second Margate player to reach that landmark.
On 14.11.64 Alan scored with a brilliant trademark header in a 3-3 home draw with Bedford and on 9.3.65 he bagged a hat-trick in a 6-1 win at Gravesend & Northfleet.
On 17.4.65 Alan scored twice in a 2-1 win over Guildford at Hartsdown Park and his second goal made him Margate's all-time leading goalscorer. It was Alan's 120th for the club which saw him overtake Peter Vandepeer. He ended the campaign having scored 26 goals from 45 appearances but for the first time Alan failed to finish a season as Margate's top scorer due to John Ballagher's amazing 50 goals.
Sadly the end of the 1964/65 season saw Alan leave Margate. His four year-old daughter was ill and he decided to move north with his family on doctor's advice. Sympathetic to his situation, Margate only asked for a token fee when they reluctantly allowed Alan to move on and Wellington were the club that he decided to join, despite an offer from Nuneaton.
On 16.10.65 Wellington made Alan captain for the day when they visited Margate for a Southern League game and he scored over 20 goals during the 1965/66 campaign. Alan went on to spend two more seasons with Wellington and continued to score regularly during his time there.
Alan later finished his career with Knightley, joining them for the 1968/69 campaign.
After his playing career finished Alan became a partner in a window-cleaning business around Telford / Wellington and was still in that area in 2002.
He died on 10.1.14 at the age of 78.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
|
|
1961/62 (MFC) |
60 (66) |
N/A |
31 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 20) |
2R |
RU |
SF |
W |
|
| Played and
scored in FA Cup 1st Round (04.11.61 - won 3-0 at Bournemouth
& Boscombe Athletic). Played in FA Cup 2nd Round (25.11.61 - drew 1-1 at home to Notts County). Played and scored in FA Cup 2nd Round replay (30.11.61 - lost 3-1 at Notts County). Played in Southern League Cup Final 1st Leg (07.04.62 - drew 2-2 at Cambridge United). Played and scored in Southern League Cup Final 2nd Leg (14.04.62 - lost 2-1 to Cambridge United at home). Played and scored twice in Kent Senior Shield Final (12.05.62 - beat Folkestone 4-0). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
KFC | |
|
1962/63 (MFC) |
57 (66) |
N/A |
37 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (1ST OF 20) |
1R |
SF |
RU |
W |
W |
| Margate won Southern
League Division One title and promoted to Premier
Division. Played in FA Cup 1st Round (03.11.62 - lost 3-1 at Millwall). Played in Kent Senior Cup Final (11.05.63 - lost 1-0 to Ashford Town). Played in Kent Senior Shield Final (01.06.63 - beat Bexleyheath & Welling 1-0). Played in Kent Floodlight Cup Final 1st Leg (07.05.63 - won 2-0 at Maidstone United). Played and scored in Kent Floodlight Cup Final 2nd Leg (13.05.63 - beat Maidstone United 3-0 at home). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
KFC | |
|
1963/64 (MFC) |
49 (60) |
N/A |
28 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (17TH OF 22) |
1R |
2R |
2R |
1R |
GR |
| Played and
scored in FA Cup 1st Round (16.11.63 - drew 2-2 at
Brentford). Played in FA Cup 1st Round replay (20.11.63 - lost 2-0 to Brentford at home). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KFL |
| |
|
1964/65 (MFC) |
45 (71) |
N/A |
26 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (6TH OF 22) |
4QR |
2R |
3R |
GR |
|