Ken Nicholas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ken Nicholas
Ken Nicholas at Vale Park 1960/1961
Personal information
Full name Kenneth William Nicholas
Date of birth (1938-02-03)3 February 1938
Place of birth Northampton, England
Date of death 24 March 2007(2007-03-24) (aged 69)
Position(s) Full back
Youth career
1955 Arsenal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1955–1959 Arsenal 0 (0)
1959–1965 Watford 198 (4)
1965–1966 Guildford City
1966–1968 Hastings United
Tonbridge
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kenneth William Nicholas (3 February 1938 – 24 March 2007) was an English sportsman, best known for his football career. After playing both football and rugby for his country at schoolboy level, Nicholas became a professional footballer. He, playing in England as a full back, then featured for Arsenal, Watford, Guildford City, Hastings United and Tonbridge as well as teams in Portugal.

Career[edit]

Born in Northampton, Nicholas represented England's schoolboy and youth football teams, as well as its rugby schoolboys team.[1][2] He joined Football League First Division side Arsenal in 1955, but was unable to break into the team, and joined Fourth Division Watford on a free transfer in 1959.[2] By contrast to his time at Arsenal, Nicholas under the management of Ron Burgess, immediately became a first-choice starter in Watford's team. In 1959–60, his first season at Watford, Nicholas helped Watford gain promotion to the Third Division for the first time in their history.[3] Nicholas continued to play regularly for the Hornets over the following five seasons.[2]

Ken Furphy, a full back himself, became Watford's player-manager in November 1964, and the 1964–65 season proved to be Nicholas's last at Vicarage Road. Altogether in his Watford career he made 219 appearances in all competitions.[2]

In the summer of 1965 he joined Southern League side Guildford City. The following year he moved to Hastings United, and after a spell at Tonbridge, Nicholas moved to the Algarve in Portugal, where he finished his career.[2]

Personal life[edit]

Nicholas died in Blackheath on 24 March 2007 after a long illness.[1][4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Ken Nicholas passes away". Watford Football Club. 26 March 2007. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e Jones, Trefor (1996). Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who. pp. 173, 272–273. ISBN 0-9527458-0-1.
  3. ^ Jones, Trefor (1998). Watford Season by Season. pp. 128–139. ISBN 0-9527458-1-X.
  4. ^ "Ken Nicholas". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ken_Nicholas&oldid=1164057631"