Ray Prior

DOB: 22nd May 1941

Position: Goalkeeper

Season of first appearance: 1973/74

Season of last appearance: 1973/74

Full Appearances: 2

Substitute: 0

Goals: 0

Clean Sheets: 0

Also played for:

Deal Town, Herne Bay, Dover, Dartford, Canterbury City, Snowdown Colliery Welfare.

Player Profile:

Goalkeeper born in Eastry, Kent, who started his career in Deal's reserves at the start of the 1960's and later had a spell with Herne Bay during the 1963/64 season.

Ray's next move saw him return to Deal and he was their regular first-team keeper for the period from the start of 1966/67 to the end of 1970/71. He was part of the side that won the Greater London League Cup on 25.5.68.

Ray then spent three years with Dover and joined Margate on loan from them in October 1973. He played twice, standing in for the injured Steve Bowtell. Ray made his debut as Margate went down 3-1 at Dartford on 27.10.73 and also played in a 2-1 win over Folkestone at Hartsdown on 30.10.73 before returning to Crabble.

Soon afterwards, in December 1973, Ray left Dover and joined Dartford as back-up keeper to John Morton who had also previously played for Margate. He made two senior appearances for the Darts before the end of the 1973/74 campaign.

Ray joined Canterbury for the 1974/75 season where he was understudy to Gerry Armstrong, making five Southern League appearances.

He then rejoined Dover for the 1975/76 campaign and played almost exclusively for their reserves.

During the 1977/78 and 1978/79 seasons, Ray played for Snowdown Colliery Welfare in the Kent League before going back to Deal again for 1979/80.

Ray later played in pre-season games for Deal during the summer of 1990 aged almost 50 and then became the club's physio.

His older brother Arthur (born 1938) was Deal's regular centre-back for several years during the late 1950s and 1960s.

Ray died in the Medway area on 30.10.06 aged 65.