Graham Paddon

Graham Charles Paddon (24 August 1950 – 19 November 2007) was an English footballer who played as a midfielder for Coventry City, Millwall, Norwich City and West Ham United.

Graham Paddon
Personal information
Full name Graham Charles Paddon[1]
Date of birth (1950-08-24)24 August 1950[2]
Place of birth Manchester, England[2]
Date of death 19 November 2007(2007-11-19) (aged 57)
Place of death Scratby, England[3]
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Coventry City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1968–1969 Coventry City 5 (1)
1969–1973 Norwich City 162 (19)
1973–1976 West Ham United 115 (11)
1976–1981 Norwich City 128 (6)
1978 → Tampa Bay Rowdies (loan) 25 (5)
1981 → Millwall (loan) 5 (1)
1982–1984 Eastern AA
1984–1985 Alfreton Town 29 (0)
Total 469 (43)
National team
1976 England U23 1 (1)
Teams managed
1991 Stoke City (caretaker manager)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Paddon was born in Manchester and began his career as an apprentice with Coventry City under Noel Cantwell. He made his senior debut in February 1969, coming on as a substitute in a 3–1 victory over Queens Park Rangers. He made five First Division appearances for the Midlands club, scoring one goal, before signing for Norwich City, then of the Second Division, in October 1969 for £25,000. He played in the Canaries' promotion-winning team of 1971–72, his eight goals helping the team to the league title. The following season, he helped the club to reach the 1973 League Cup Final. He scored all three goals in the quarter-final against Arsenal and saw victory in the two-legged semi-final against Chelsea, but was not able to stop Tottenham Hotspur winning the Final by a single goal.[3][4]

After 198 appearances and 28 goals for the Canaries, Paddon joined West Ham United, also of the First Division, for £170,000 in December 1973 in a deal which saw Ted MacDougall move the other way. The deal saw Paddon become West Ham's most expensive player.[5] Joining a team that included Billy Bonds and Trevor Brooking and was managed by Ron Greenwood, he made 26 appearances for the east London club during the 1973–74 season.[3][6]

Paddon's first full season at West Ham, by that point managed by John Lyall, saw 54 appearances and 4 goals. He featured all of the games in the successful 1974–75 FA Cup run, with the second goal of the 2–0 victory in the Final against Fulham scored by Alan Taylor after 'keeper Peter Mellor failed to deal with a shot by Paddon.[5][3] The season also featured what Paddon described afterwards as "the best goal I've ever scored", a 40-yarder against Wolverhampton Wanderers that found the net with some help from the wind.[5] He managed 5 goals in 57 appearances during the 1975–76 season, including every game of the European Cup Winners' Cup campaign. He scored from 30 yards in the first leg of the semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt, but the team were only able to pick up a runners-up medal in the Final against Anderlecht.[3] He made a total of 152 appearances, scoring 15 goals, in his three years at West Ham.[6] His exploits that season resulted in him being voted runner-up for Hammer of the Year, behind Brooking.[5]

On 23 March 1976, Paddon made his only international appearance when he played for the England under-23 team as a permitted over-age player in a game against Hungary. He scored the final goal of a 3–1 victory.[3][7]

Paddon rejoined Norwich, who by that point had returned to the top tier, for £110,000 in November 1976, but suffered a broken leg in only his third game back with the Norfolk club. It would be a full year before his return to first-team football.[8] He went on to captain the club, who remained in the First Division until the 1980–81 season.[3]

He spent time in the United States with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 1978,[9] and scored a goal against Norwich in an indoor friendly between the two sides on 3 May 1978 in St. Petersburg, Florida.[10]

In all, Paddon made 290 League appearances and 25 scored goals over his two spells at Norwich. He spent some time on loan at Millwall during the 1981–82 season, where he made five League appearances and scored one goal.[4] He finished his career in Hong Kong with Eastern AA and then with Northern Counties East club Alfreton Town, where he made 29 appearances.[5]

Style of play

Paddon was known for his creativity on the left side of midfield, with surging runs and using his powerful left foot to cross the ball into the strikers or shoot from long range.[11] His captain at Norwich, Duncan Forbes, later remarked "He had the most fantastic left-foot. He didn't need to get very far over the halfway line before he looked up and unleashed a shot at goal. It was superb".[12] West Ham goalkeeper Mervyn Day noted after his death that "I'll remember his dynamism, the balance he brought to the side but, above all else, the ferocity of his left foot in shooting practice".[13]

He was also skilled at the long throw-in, Forbes commenting "he had a huge long throw. We used to practise moves at the old training pitch at Trowse. He would take the throw, I would flick it back with my head and there'd be someone coming in behind to score".[12]

Coaching career

In August 1985, Paddon joined the coaching staff at Portsmouth, working under Alan Ball. He moved to Stoke City to become Ball's assistant in October 1989. After Ball had been sacked in February 1991 Paddon was given the role as caretaker manager up until the end of the 1990–91 season.[2] Stoke finished in 14th place in the Third Division which was unfortunately for Paddon Stoke's worst ever league finish.[2] He returned to Portsmouth to work as Jim Smith's number two in the spring of 1991. In March 1995, the pair were sacked and Paddon later worked as a scout for Derby County, again under Jim Smith, as well as at Liverpool and Leicester City.[13]

In 2003, Paddon joined DPMM FC in Brunei, taking charge of the team that competed in the 2005–06 Brunei Premier League.[3]

Death

Paddon died of a heart attack at his home in Norfolk on 19 November 2007.[14][15]

Career statistics

As a player

Source:[16]

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Coventry City 1968–69 First Division 1000000010
1969–70 First Division 4100000041
Total 5100000051
Norwich City 1969–70 Second Division 302100000312
1970–71 Second Division 401104000451
1971–72 Second Division 4081052004610
1972–73 First Division 3873075605412
1973–74 First Division 141102052223
Total 162197018711219828
West Ham United 1973–74 First Division 244200000264
1974–75 First Division 404803030544
1975–76 First Division 3921051122575
1976–77 First Division 121003100152
Total 1151111011215215215
Norwich City 1976–77 First Division 3000000030
1977–78 First Division 180000000180
1978–79 First Division 171000000171
1979–80 First Division 402316200495
1980–81 First Division 423204000483
1981–82 Second Division 80000030110
Total 128651102301469
Tampa Bay Rowdies (loan) 1978 NASL 255–––255
Millwall (loan) 1981–82 Third Division 5100000051
Career Total 44043231391129453159
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Anglo-Italian Cup, FA Charity Shield, Football League Group Cup, Texaco Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

As a manager
Managerial record by club and tenure
Team From To Record
PWDLWin %
Stoke City[2] 24 February 1991 18 June 1991 18 6 3 9 033.3
Total 18 6 3 9 033.3

Honours

Norwich City[12]

West Ham United[5]

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gollark: You can dislike a country without disliking its majority ethnic group, you know?
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gollark: Why?

References
  1. Davage, Mike; Eastwood, John; Platt, Kevin (2001). Canary Citizens. Jarrold Publishing. ISBN 0-7117-2020-7.
  2. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  3. Ponting, Ivan (24 November 2007). "Graham Paddon: Skilful, effervescent footballer". The Independent. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  4. Hogg, Tony (2005). Who's Who of West Ham United. Profile Sports Media. p. 159. ISBN 1-903135-50-8.
  5. Hillier, Roger. "Graham Paddon (1950 - 2007)". theyflysohigh.co.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  6. "Graham Paddon". westhamstats.info. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  7. "England v Hungary, 23 March 1976". 11v11.com. Association of Football Statisticians. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  8. "COLIN SUGGETT has told Norwich manager John Bond he does not want to play against Birmingham...". Aberdeen Evening Express. 25 November 1977. p. 24 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "Graham Paddon". nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  10. "Norwich Nips Rowdies". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 4 May 1978. p. 40. Retrieved 7 May 2018 – via Google News.
  11. Stevens, Dr. Phil (2015). John Lyall: A Life in Football. Andrews UK Limited. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-9931796-0-0.
  12. Lakey, Chris (20 November 2007). "Graham Paddon – one of City's all-time greats". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  13. Smith, By Martin (20 November 2007). "FA Cup winner Graham Paddon dies". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  14. "Canaries legend dies". Norwich Evening News. 19 November 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  15. "Graham Paddon RIP". Ex-Hammers. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  16. Graham Paddon at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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