Welcome to the latest in our series of profiling players from the past. Again, we pick a player that some might remember but some might not know of. The players chosen, as always, are not the big names such as your Super Kev’s, Quinny or Bally, but ones that have featured in the Lads illustrious history. This time we go back to profile a player that was a fixture in the Lads sides of the mid 1970s and the early 1980s.
This week we profile goalkeeper Barry Siddall.
Born in the Cheshire town of Ellesmere Port, also the birthplace of football legends Joe Mercer and Stan Cullis, Barry joined Bolton Wanderers as an apprentice in 1970 when the Trotters were managed by the Lion of Vienna and Whites legend Nat Lofthouse and “The King” was in the twilight of his career However, it was under 1966 World Cup winner Jimmy Armfield that the young Siddall was given his first team debut. Siddall displaced Alan Boswell, who subsequently joined Port Vale, and Scot Charlie Wright to become first choice for the Whites in the 1973-74 season. After 162 appearances in all competitions for the Whites, Bob Stokoe paid £80,000 for his services to replace 1973 FA Cup legend Jimmy Montgomery and then understudy Trevor Swinburne in September 1976.
Siddall made his debut for the Lads against Aston Villa at Roker Park, but it wasn’t a winning one as a sole Alex Cropley effort 15 minutes from time beat the debutant and gave the Birmingham based side a 1-0 win. He would go to make 33 more league appearances that season as well both FA Cup games against Wrexham as he quickly became the new first choice. After two more seasons as first choice, the arrival of Chris Turner from Sheffield Wednesday saw Barry face competition for the number one jersey for the first time since joining with loan spells at Darlington and Vancouver Whitecaps in NASL towards the end of his career on Wearside. Eventually after 192 total appearances and contributing to the 1979-80 promotion achievement, he was released at the 1981-82 season and dropped into the then Fourth Division with Burslem-based Port Vale.
During his time at Vale, he helped the Valiants to promotion in his first season there. A wage disagreement meant he spent a month of the following season at Blackpool, but he would return and play for the majority of the campaign with Vale. However, he was once more reduced to play a back up role in 1984-85 and in January 1985 joined arch rivals Stoke City on an initial two-month loan which was turned into a permanent deal on deadline day in March of that season. But he was soon backing playing the understudy role the following season and had two loan spells either side of the league structure: one at then Fourth Division Tranmere Rovers and the other in the First Division with Manchester City. Three seasons would follow at a familiar place, Blackpool before Stockport signed him up at the conclusion of the 1988-89 season.
The following season, 1989-90, saw him play 29 games for the Hatters before he returned to the North East and finish the season with Hartlepool United where he made a contribution towards Pools avoiding the drop into the Conference when all at once seemed lost. Pools didn’t retain his services and after a short stint at Mossley, Siddall joined Carlisle United for 1990-91. The next two seasons so him play minor roles at Chester City and Preston North End, 13 games in total before going into non-league with Northwich Victoria and Horwich RMI in subsequent seasons. Barry Fry recruited him to play for Birmingham City as injury cover in March 1995, but once that short term deal expired: Siddall hung up the gloves after an astonishing 21-year career which saw him play 614 games in the Football League. He then dabbled with some goalkeeping coaching whilst working for the Post Office but what a career...
