John Middleton (24 December 1956
– 3 July 2016) was an English under-21 internationalist
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
. He won honours playing 137 first team games with
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
. After 80 competitive first team games for
Derby County he retired due to injury aged 23 in 1980.
Nottingham Forest
Middleton started as an apprentice at
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
in the
1974-75 season.
Allan Brown gave him his debut aged 17 on 19 October 1974 in a Second Division 1–0 win at
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
. He remained first choice for the next three years playing 137 competitive and non-competitive first team games between 1974 and 1977.
[John Middleton, The City Ground]
/ref>
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough ( ; 21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the Englis ...
replaced Brown as manager in January 1975 and was joined in July 1976 by his former assistant manager at Derby County, Peter Taylor. Forest immediately went into upswing from the duo being in partnership. Their first trophy was the 1976-77 Anglo-Scottish Cup beating Orient
The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...
5–1 in a two leg final in December 1976. Forest were promoted back to the top flight at the end of that season.["Old Big 'Ead ignites Forest fire" ESPN 22 March 2012]
/ref>
Forest started their return to the top league campaign with a 3–1 win at Everton. Three further wins in league and cup followed without conceding a goal. Then came five early September goals conceded losing 3–0 at Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and beating Wolves 3–2 at home.
Derby County
20 year old Middleton transferred later in the month with £25,000 in exchange for Archie Gemmill moving to Forest from another top flight club, Derby County. Middleton played 80 competitive first team games (73 in the league) for Derby. A persistent shoulder injury forced his retirement from football aged 23 in 1980.
/ref>["1977/1978 » 6. Round » Derby County - Leeds United 2:2" worldfootball.net]
/ref>["Archie Gemmill Nottingham Forest FC, Sporting Heroes]
/ref>
International
Middleton played twice against Norway and once against Finland for England in UEFA Under 21 Championship qualifying group matches. He conceded only one goal in total winning all three games. All three games were in 1977 during his last four months at Forest. His last cap was four days before the 3–0 defeat by Arsenal playing for Forest.[England Football Online]
/ref>
Death
Middleton died on 3 July 2016 aged 59.[
]
Honours
Nottingham Forest:
* 1976-77 Anglo-Scottish Cup
* 1976-77 Football League Second Division promotion
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Middleton, John
1956 births
2016 deaths
Association football goalkeepers
Derby County F.C. players
English footballers
England under-21 international footballers
Nottingham Forest F.C. players
Sportspeople from Lincoln, England
English Football League players
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/skegnessstandard-uk/obituary.aspx?n=john-middleton&pid=182619674
John Middleton Of Skegness, passed away peacefully on Sunday 3rd July, aged 59.
Much loved Husband of Jayne, loving Dad, Grandad, Brother and Uncle. Funeral at St. Matthew's Church at 12.30pm on Wednesday 20th July, followed by cremation at
Alford Crematorium.
Family flowers only, but if desired donations to Lincoln County Hospital (Clayton Ward) c/o Parkers Funeral Directors, 1a Sea Road Chapel
St Leonards PE24 5SJ.
tel: 01754 873035
Published in Skegness Standard on July 13, 2016
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/clough-s-unlikely-champions-still-in-league-of-their-own-106308.html
John Middleton: Goalkeeper for three years before Shilton arrived. Now a delivery driver based in home town of Skegness.