Ian Black: Goalkeeper for Fulham in the 1950s

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Ian Black: Goalkeeper for Fulham in the 1950s



Ian Black guarded Fulham's net unflappably throughout most of the 1950s before giving way to the challenge of youth in the form of the more flamboyant Tony Macedo. Black was a much-needed pillar of reliability in a team stacked with talented footballers and colourful characters but prone to an inconsistency which kept them out of the top flight for most of the Aberdonian six-footer's Craven Cottage tenure.

Having shown immense promise as a schoolboy, Black joined his home-town club in 1944 but the impetus of his career was jolted by the war, during which he served in the Army with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. During the conflict he guested for Southampton and Chelsea, whom he helped to lift the Football League South Cup, keeping a clean sheet against Millwall in the 1945 Wembley final in front of 90,000 fans desperate for entertainment as the end of hostilities approached.

When peace resumed, Black couldn't oust the much older George Johnstone at Pittodrie and in December 1947 he was sold to Second Division Southampton for £1,000. He thrived immediately, and in spring 1948 he was called up for Scotland, against England at Hampden Park.

His selection ahead of Celtic's Willie Miller and Jimmy Cowan of Morton caused heated debate, especially as Black was an "Anglo", but he was not to blame for the 2-0 defeat, being beaten by unstoppable efforts from Tom Finney and Stan Mortensen, and was unfortunate not to win a second cap. Back at The Dell, the only Southampton player to represent Scotland at the top level in the 20th century continued to excel, contributing impressively to three successive promotion bids, all of which failed narrowly.

Black was happy under the guidance of manager Bill Dodgin, so it was hardly surprising in August 1950 when he followed his mentor to top-flight Fulham – in exchange for the Northern Ireland international 'keeper Hugh Kelly – having conceded slightly less than a goal a game in more than a century of senior appearances.

At Craven Cottage he found himself facing a different challenge, that of avoiding relegation, a task that was accomplished in 1950-51 but not in the next campaign, when Fulham finished bottom. Still, Black excelled, his composure, courage and agility frequently limiting the damage as the Cottagers' rearguard was pounded, even if occasional crosses were dropped.

For the next five and a half seasons, alongside such starry performers as Charlie Mitten, Bobby Robson, Bedford Jezzard and the great midfield general Johnny Haynes, Black was a reassuring presence, even becoming the only Fulham 'keeper to score a goal. At Leicester in 1952, well before the use of substitutes was allowed, he was hurt and switched to the front line for nuisance value. He offered rather more than that, nodding home a cross from winger Arthur Stevens, an act of welcome defiance in a 6-1 defeat.

However, another injury, suffered in November 1957 in his 277th outing for the club, had more far-reaching consequences. Macedo stepped up and performed brilliantly, and the Scot never played another senior match. In 1959, aged 35, he signed for non-League Bath City, remaining at Twerton Park for three years before enlisting with Canterbury City. Later he coached youngsters for Brentford, ran a sports shop in Tolworth, south-west London and played bowls for Surrey.

Ivan Ponting

Ian Henderson Black, footballer: born Aberdeen 27 March 1924; played for Southampton 1947-50, Fulham 1950-59; capped once by Scotland 1948; died 13 December 2012.



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ian-black-goalkeeper-for-fulham-in-the-1950s-8446761.html

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Ian Black

Scottish international goalkeeper;

Born: March 27, 1924; Died: December 13, 2012.

Ian Black, who has died aged 88, was plucked from the relative obscurity of Second Division Southampton to win a Scotland cap in the 0-2 Hampden loss to England, on 10 April, 1948. By all accounts, he had no chance of stopping either English goal although, as an "Anglo-Scots" goalkeeper, who had been on the losing side against the Auld Enemy at Hampden, his chances of further caps were compromised.

He was replaced by Morton's Jimmy Cowan for Scotland's next game and, as Cowan established himself as one of Scotland's greatest custodians, Black's chances of further Scotland honours vanished.

Black never played a first team game for Aberdeen FC whom he had joined from local juvenile side St Clement's. During the Seconf World War Black, a motor mechanic, was called up and posted to England. He first made a name for himself when he back-stopped the Chelsea side which won the Southern League Cup in 1945, but with a posting to the Southampton area he was soon playing for the Saints and as he impressed during the 1945-46 season, Southampton signed him for £1000. In all, he played 97 first team games for the south coast club, conceding a mere 95 goals, statistics which hint at his prowess as a shot stopper and explain his speedy rise to the national side.

Black enjoyed a particularly close relationship with Saints manager Bill Dodgin Snr and when Dodgin moved to become manager at Fulham, he quickly recruited Black and he was first-choice for the club throughout the 1950s.

Fulham didn't win much in that time; they were relegated out of the English top flight in 1952 and didn't get back there until the 1958-59 season, Black's final one with the club. However, with teammates such as fellow internationalists Eddie Lowe, Tommy Langley, Bedford Jezzard, the great Johnny Haynes, Bobby Robson, Scotland's Graham Leggat and the great uncapped Cockney entertainer Trevor "Tosh" Chamberlain, not to mention a certain bearded inside right named Jimmy Hill, entertainment was almost guaranteed at Craven Cottage.

Black, who liked to play in an all-black kit, played nearly 300 games for Fulham, even scoring on one occasion. Having sustained a shoulder injury against Leicester City in August, 1952, he played on up front and headed home Fulham's goal in a 1-6 defeat.

Another highlight of his Fulham career was the famous fourth round FA Cup tie in 1955-56, in which cup-holders Newcastle United, having been 3-0 up, were pegged back to 3-3, before winning 5-4 at Craven Cottage; this game is still held up as one of the greatest ties in the long history of the FA Cup.

Black's time at Fulham ended at the close of the 1958-59 season. He then had a brief spell in non-league football with Bath City, before turning to management, with Canterbury City.

In retirement Black and former team mate Eddie Lowe opened a sports shop in Tolworth, Surrey, which Black ran into his ninth decade. He golfed and played cricket but his true post-football sporting passion was bowls, at which sport he represented Surrey both indoors and out, playing outdoors at Morden and indoors at the big Tolworth complex, where he was a director.

He is pre-deceased by his wife Dorothy and is survived by his step-daughter Nancy and her two sons.


http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/ian-black.19832119?