Fred Ryecraft

Frederick Ryecraft (29 August 1939 – 26 September 2017) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Brentford as a goalkeeper. He was a member of the club's 1962–63 Fourth Division championship-winning team.

Fred Ryecraft
Personal information
Full name Frederick Ryecraft[1]
Date of birth (1939-08-29)29 August 1939
Place of birth Southall, England[1]
Date of death 26 September 2017(2017-09-26) (aged 78)[2]
Place of death Hampshire, England[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1959 Southall
1959–1964 Brentford 33 (0)
Gravesend & Northfleet
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Brentford

After a short spell at Athenian League club Southall,[3] Ryecraft joined Third Division club Brentford in September 1959.[1] First team goalkeeper Gerry Cakebread's durability meant that a spell doing national service saw Ryecraft confined to the club's reserve team, until the first team's relegation to the Fourth Division in 1962.[3] Ryecraft finally made his first team debut in a 2–1 defeat to Gillingham on 21 August 1962.[4] He went on to make 18 appearances during a 1962–63 season which saw the Bees return to the Third Division at the first time of asking.[4] Ryecraft made 20 appearances during the 1963–64 season,[4] but mainly appeared for the reserves and was released at the end of the campaign.[3] Ryecraft made a total of 38 first team appearances for the Bees and along with Micky Ball and Johnny Hales,[3] he is one of three players to make over 150 appearances for the Brentford reserve team.[5]

Gravesend & Northfleet

After his release from Brentford, Ryecraft dropped back into non-league football and played for Southern League First Division club Gravesend & Northfleet.[3]

Representative career

While undertaking his national service, Ryecraft played for the British Army representative team and the Combined Services.[2] He played on a tour of South East Asia in 1962 and was a member of the victorious Kentish Cup-winning team the same year.[3][6][7]

Personal life

While on national service in the British Army, Ryecraft was a member of the Royal Army Service Corps.[7]

Honours

British Army

  • Kentish Cup: 1962[6]

Brentford

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 1962–63[4] Fourth Division 18 0 0 0 0 0 18 0
1963–64[4] Third Division 15 0 1 0 4 0 20 0
Career total 33 0 1 0 4 0 38 0

References
  1. "Fred Ryecraft". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  2. "Condolences paid to Fred Ryecraft". Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  3. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. pp. 139–140. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  4. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 387. ISBN 0951526200.
  5. Brentford F.C. Griffin Gazette versus Chester City. Quay Design of Poole. 15 April 1995. p. 29.
  6. "History". armyfa.com. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  7. "British Army representative team tour of South East Asia 1962". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 17 October 2017.


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