RIP Ian Black

[Peabody]

Saddened to hear on the Official that Ian , our goalkeeper in the early fifties has passed away. We signed him in 1951 from Southampton and he was outr regular Nos 1 until about 1956/57. A Scottish International and was a good goalie.

[Peabody]

This from the Official

Ian Black: 1924-2012
Monday 17 December 2012 11:30
Fulham Football Club was saddened to hear that one of the Whites' greatest-ever goalkeepers, Ian Black, has died at the age of 88.

Fulham's goalkeeper for virtually all of the 1950s, Black was tall and stylish with a safe pair of hands.

He began his career at hometown club Aberdeen in 1944, before moving to Southampton for £1,000 in December 1947 when he was working as a mechanic in the town. Shortly after joining the Saints, he made his one and only appearance for Scotland in a 2-0 defeat of England at Hampden Park.

When Saints boss Bill Dodgin moved to Fulham, Black soon followed. He would go on to make 277 appearances in all competitions for the Club.

He is the only Fulham goalkeeper to have scored in the league, heading home when injury forced him to play at centre-forward against Leicester City in August 1952.

Black left Fulham in 1959 to join Bath City. He was then manager at Canterbury City, youth-team boss at Brentford and finally football advisor to Redhill.

Black passed away on Thursday 13th December. His funeral will take place on Friday 28th December. The thoughts of everyone at Fulham are with Ian's family and friends.

For fans who wish to make a donation to Ian's chosen charity - The Mid Surrey Palliative Care Trust Fund - details can be found at www.butterfly-appeal.org.uk or by emailing [email protected].

[Burt]

Always sad when one of the Fulham family passes away...

RIP

[vbg cottager]

sad story...

R.I.P.

[ScalleysDad]

RIP to a goal scoring keeper. I wonder if he dined out on that very often?
Not wishing to make light of that specifically and I trust his family are not offended but how wide would the goal need to be for our current custodian to score?

[TheDaddy]

Rest in peace sir

[mr-ska]

Black and Lowe used to own a sports shop on Tolworth Broadway in the 70's...   I nearly past out with excitement knowing they played for Fulham.  I was about 7 at the time

RIP x

[cmg]

Sad news.
Kept goal in my first Fulham match. Must have been injured soon after, Ken Hewkins played a couple of games and then the brilliant young Macedo burst on the scene and Black was never seen again.
Just to put the club's account straight - Ian Black's only cap (in front of a mere 135,000) was 2-0 win for England (Finney, Mortensen).

Another largely unsung hero of the past departs.

[Walsh]

R.I.P :(

[EJL]

Unfortunately I'm among a generation that isn't lucky enough to see the real legends play.

RIP

[LBNo11]

...very sad to hear the news, Ian was a neighbour of mine on the Sunray Estate in Tolworth and I met him a couple of times, and he was my proposed guest at the unveiling ceremony of the Johnny Haynes statue.

In 2008 I asked him if I could conduct an interview with him on behalf of TOOFIF, as well as ask about his memories about Johnny Haynes, he agreed to this and he invited me to have lunch with him at the King George Field Indoor Bowls Club where he was still an active member. We spent a couple of hours chatting about his childhood, the war and time at Fulham, at Aberdeen and Southampton and the sports shop he and Eddie Lowe were partners in at Tolworth and I took the photo (below) on that occasion. He remembered the famous FA meeting between Fulham and the top flight Newcastle match and the Vic Keeble assault on him - in full view of the ref, where he was barged into the goal holding the ball whilst he was still in the air and the ref gave Keeble his second goal. He also recalled the game against Leicester City where his shoulder was badly injured by former Fulham player Arthur Rowley in the first half, and as substitutes were not around in those days decided to play outfield with his shoulder heavily strapped, and how he connected to an Arthur (Pablo) Stevens cross and headed it into the top corner of the goal. We lost 6-1 in the end but Ian created a bit of history in being the only Fulham goalie to score in open play (Tony Lange scored from a penalty).

He was a wonderful host and with his soft Scots lilt was a pleasure to listen to. At the end of the interview I went to pay the bill for the meal but he was adamant that I was his guest and that he should pay for me. After Ian had gone off to play some more bowls the man who had served us asked why I was taking his photo and was making notes about him, I replied that it was because I was a Fulham fan and as Ian had played for Fulham  - the waiter/steward was amazed and didn't realise that Ian had been a top flight goalkeeper as during all his time at the club he had never mentioned to him his history.

I have asked the club to remember him in some form when we play his other team Southampton soon, maybe a black armband would be suitable especially considering his name.  RIP Ian, it was a real pleasure to have met you.

Below are various photos and articles:-









Infamous goal with Ian laying in the goalmouth.


And from the Southampton website a nice tribute:-

PUBLISHED
14:44 17th December 2012
Saints Historian David Bull remembers the club's record-holding goalkeeper, Ian Black

Ian Black, who has died aged 88, has two special claims to feature in the Saints' records: as the sole Scot, throughout the 20th century, to be capped while on the club's books; and as the only goalkeeper to concede fewer League goals (95) than the number of games he played (97) for the club. 

Black had barely joined Aberdeen when he was called up. Serving in REME, his numerous billets included Catford and Bordon. While at the former, he guested for Chelsea in the 1945 League South Cup Final. Then, when stationed at Bordon, he made a few "unofficial" appearances for Southampton in the transitional season of 1945-46. His inaugural performance for the Saints attracted rave reviews: "a young leopard", said one national, while the Echo applauded "the calm assurance of a top-class player."

Reciprocally, the young Scot was impressed by the club's player-coach, Bill Dodgin, not only for his professional knowledge and "terrific enthusiasm" but also for the way in which he and his wife Gladys embraced him, as "a second father and mother," at their Bitterne home. Ian was soon posted back to Scotland, en route to Malta, where he remained until his demob in November 1947. Not surprisingly, both Chelsea and Southampton were keen to sign him. Aberdeen were equally loth to part with him, but "Daddy Dodgin" – by now the Saints manager – held all the cards, plus a cheque for £1,000, that enabled him very soon to sign Black.

Before that 1947-48 season was out, Ian was keeping goal for Scotland against England at Hampden. The Scots dominated, but Tom Finney – with a "screamer" that thrilled the Daily Herald – and Stan Mortensen secured a 2-0 away win. In so far as Ian "hardly touched the ball," he reckoned, he had a limited opportunity to prove his case for a second chance. He had to be content with being a fixture in Southampton's goal, as they narrowly missed promotion three seasons running, the third of them under Sid Cann, following the departure of Black's "second father" to Fulham. Unhappy with a manager who "was not a good communicator," Ian rejoined Dodgin at Craven Cottage, thereby forsaking "the best club that I've been at."

That said, he would chalk up 263 League games for Fulham – and one goal: when injured against Leicester City in August 1952, he was obliged to abandon his jersey for an outfield position, from which he headed Fulham's goal in a 6-1 defeat. In retirement, he ran a sports-shop in Tolworth, while developing a keen interest in bowls, a sport at which he represented Surrey, both outdoors and indoors. He was secretary, into his seventies, of the massive club at Tolworth, where he was still playing in his late eighties.



IAN HENDERSON BLACK

[hn4fulham]

RIP

[Bradstow]

Remember him well - fine reliable keeper.

[Snibbo]

Before my time (just). R.I.P.

[White Noise]

A piece from the official Southampton site. Click on the link for pictures -



http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/ian-black-an-appreciation-548837.aspx


Ian Black: An Appreciation

PUBLISHED

14:44 17th December 2012

Saints Historian David Bull remembers the club's record-holding goalkeeper, Ian Black

Ian Black, who has died aged 88, has two special claims to feature in the Saints' records: as the sole Scot, throughout the 20th century, to be capped while on the club's books; and as the only goalkeeper to concede fewer League goals (95) than the number of games he played (97) for the club. 

Black had barely joined Aberdeen when he was called up. Serving in REME, his numerous billets included Catford and Bordon. While at the former, he guested for Chelsea in the 1945 League South Cup Final. Then, when stationed at Bordon, he made a few "unofficial" appearances for Southampton in the transitional season of 1945-46. His inaugural performance for the Saints attracted rave reviews: "a young leopard", said one national, while the Echo applauded "the calm assurance of a top-class player."

Reciprocally, the young Scot was impressed by the club's player-coach, Bill Dodgin, not only for his professional knowledge and "terrific enthusiasm" but also for the way in which he and his wife Gladys embraced him, as "a second father and mother," at their Bitterne home. Ian was soon posted back to Scotland, en route to Malta, where he remained until his demob in November 1947. Not surprisingly, both Chelsea and Southampton were keen to sign him. Aberdeen were equally loth to part with him, but "Daddy Dodgin" – by now the Saints manager – held all the cards, plus a cheque for £1,000, that enabled him very soon to sign Black.

Before that 1947-48 season was out, Ian was keeping goal for Scotland against England at Hampden. The Scots dominated, but Tom Finney – with a "screamer" that thrilled the Daily Herald – and Stan Mortensen secured a 2-0 away win. In so far as Ian "hardly touched the ball," he reckoned, he had a limited opportunity to prove his case for a second chance. He had to be content with being a fixture in Southampton's goal, as they narrowly missed promotion three seasons running, the third of them under Sid Cann, following the departure of Black's "second father" to Fulham. Unhappy with a manager who "was not a good communicator," Ian rejoined Dodgin at Craven Cottage, thereby forsaking "the best club that I've been at."

That said, he would chalk up 263 League games for Fulham – and one goal: when injured against Leicester City in August 1952, he was obliged to abandon his jersey for an outfield position, from which he headed Fulham's goal in a 6-1 defeat. In retirement, he ran a sports-shop in Tolworth, while developing a keen interest in bowls, a sport at which he represented Surrey, both outdoors and indoors. He was secretary, into his seventies, of the massive club at Tolworth, where he was still playing in his late eighties.

[White Noise]

Some nice footage of a hammering in the FA Cup by Blackpool in 1957 but it at least shows plenty of Ian in action! (and is that wadey in the first 10 seconds?) -

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/blackpool-v-fulham

[olly101]

A true Fulham legend, a word that is used too much nowadays.
My Uncle watched Fulham a lot in the 50's and he told me about Ian many a time.
RIP.

[filham]

I must have seen a lot of Ian's games at the Cottage but the one that sticks in my mind is the Newcastle cup tie and the injustice that Ian suffered from that Keeble goal when he was deliberatly barged into the net with his feet a foot off the ground.
Thanks, Ian for all the entertainment you gave me andfor being such a good servant to Fulham, You were a very good keeper.

[RaySmith]

He was just before my time, but I do remember Ken Hewkins , mentioned by cmg  - as the great Macedo's understudy; and Eddie Lowe , of course, who was one of my favourite Fulham players at the time - and still is one of my favourite players.

Good to read these memories of Ian - thank you.RIP.

[Swedish Terrier]

RIP.   9739.gif  065.gif