Nigel Sims

David Nigel Sims (9 August 1931 – 6 January 2018), known as Nigel Sims, was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Peterborough United in the 1950s and 1960s.[1]

Nigel Sims
Sims in training in 1959
Personal information
Date of birth (1931-08-09)9 August 1931
Place of birth Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire, England
Place of death 6 January 2018(2018-01-06) (aged 86)
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
194x–1948 Stapenhill
1948–1956 Wolverhampton Wanderers 38 (0)
1956–1964 Aston Villa 264 (0)
1963 Toronto City
1964–1965 Peterborough United 16 (0)
1967 Toronto Falcons 2 (0)
– Toronto Italia
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Sims was born at Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire. He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Stapenhill in August 1948 as understudy to Bert Williams, and made his first-team debut on 18 April 1949 in a 1–1 draw with Sheffield United in the First Division.[2] While a National Serviceman in 1950, Sims played for the Army in a representative match against an Irish Football Association XI.[3] During his eight seasons at Wolves he only made 39 appearances[4] before transferring to Midlands rivals Aston Villa in March 1956.[5] He made his debut against Burnley that same month.

He was on the winning side in the 1957 FA Cup Final, in which Villa beat Manchester United 2–1,[6] followed three years later by a Second Division winners' medal. In 1961, he helped Villa lift the inaugural League Cup.[7]

He played representative matches for the Football League,[8] and in 1958, was the first winner of Aston Villa supporters' 'Terrace Trophy'.[9]

In September 1964, having lost his place in the side, he transferred to Peterborough United. He appeared only 16 times for them before trying his luck in Canada, having already spent a summer with Toronto City in the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League.[10] He appeared twice for the Toronto Falcons in the National Professional Soccer League,[11] and also played for Toronto Italia.

In Safe Hands, a book about his footballing memories was published in August 2012.[12]

References
  1. "Nigel Sims". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  2. "Team Details: 1948–1949". Wolves-Stats. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  3. Glass, George (12 April 2009). "13 September 1950". Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  4. "Players. A–Z". Wolves-Stats. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  5. "Sims, Nigel David". Aston Villa Player Database. Jörn Mårtensson. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  6. Fort, Didier (15 February 2006). "England – FA Cup Finals 1946–2000". RSSSF. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  7. Fort, Didier (25 February 2001). "England – League Cup Finals 1961–2001". RSSSF. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  8. "Young Football League Team. Change of Policy Justified". The Times. 23 September 1957. p. 13.
  9. "Lions Roar at Awards". Aston Villa F.C. 28 May 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  10. Jose, Colin (2001). On-Side - 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario. Vaughan, Ontario: Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. p. 232.
  11. "North American Soccer League Players Nigel Sims". NASL Jerseys. Dave Morrison. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  12. "In Safe Hands: Nigel Sims' Football Memories". Retrieved 9 September 2012.
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