Derek Forster

Derek Forster

Personal information
Full name	Derek Forster
Date of birth	19 February 1949 (1949-02-19) (age 62)
Place of birth	Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1964–1972	Sunderland	18	(0)
1973–1974	Charlton Athletic	9	(0)
1974–1976	Brighton & Hove Albion	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Derek Forster (born 19 February 1949) is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He started his career at a Newcastle school team where he also played for the England school team. He then moved to Sunderland as a youth player, where he would progress to become their youngest ever player to make a first team appearance. Forster moved up into the senior side, but suffered limited appearances due to the presence of Jimmy Montgomery. He left Sunderland in 1972 to join Charlton Athletic before moving again to Brighton & Hove Albion where he finished his career.

Club career

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Forster started his footballing career in the Newcastle Schools youth team.^[1] From here, he went on to make five appearances for England schools. In 1964 he signed for Sunderland as a youth apprentice, where he would become an understoody of record appearance holder Jimmy Montgomery.^[1] While still in the youth side of the club, Forster was called up to the first team due to an injury to Montgomery, and started a game against Leicester City on 22 August 1964.^[2] At 15 years 185 days old, he became the First Division's youngest ever player, as well as Sunderland's.^[1] Forster signed his professional contract at the club in February 1966.^[1] He made just 18 league appearances in his Sunderland career, spanning from 1964 to 1972, much because of competition for places.^[1]

He joined Charlton Athetlic in July 1973, but again was left regularly unused, making just nine appearances in his solitary season at the club.^[3] He made the last move of his career in 1974 when he joined Brighton & Hove Albion where he made three appearances,^[4] later becoming an amateur player in the Wearside Football League.^[1]

After football, Forster became assistant manager of Washington Leisure Centre in County Durham.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Dykes, Garth; Lamming, Doug (November 2000). All the lads: A complete who's who of Sunderland A.F.C.. Polar Print Group Ltd. p. 312. ISBN 978-1899538140. 
2. ^ "Sunderland 3–3 Leicester City". The Stat Cat. http://www.catstattery.co.uk/Imatchdets/IMD1925.asp. Retrieved 25 January 2009. 
3. ^ "Charlton Athletic - 1946/47 – 2007/08". Post War English & Scottish Football League A — Z Player's Database. http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/charlton/charlton.htm. Retrieved 25 January 2009. 
4. ^ "Brighton & Hove Albion : 1946/47 - 2007/08". Post War English & Scottish Football League A — Z Player's Database. http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/brighton/brighton.htm. Retrieved 25 January 2009. 

Persondata
Name	Forster, Derek
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	19 February 1949
Place of birth	Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Date of death
Place of death