Aaron Flahavan

Infobox Football biography
playername = Aaron Flahavan


fullname = Aaron Adam Flahavan
dateofbirth = birth date|1975|12|15|df=y
cityofbirth = Southampton
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|2001|8|5|1975|12|15|df=y
cityofdeath = Bournemouth
countryofdeath = England
height =
nickname =
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears = 1992-1994
youthclubs = Southampton
years = 1994-2001
clubs = Portsmouth
caps(goals) = 093 00(0)
manageryears =
managerclubs =
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate =
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Aaron Adam Flahavan (15 December 1975 – 5 August 2001) was an English football goalkeeper of Irish descent, who played for Portsmouth. Flahavan played for the Southampton youth team before turning professional with Portsmouth at age 18 in 1994. He had to wait until 1996 before making his first-team debut as he was understudy to Pompey legend Alan Knight.

In the late 1990s, Flahavan gradually began receiving increased playing time, and had become the team's first-choice goalkeeper in the final years before his untimely death. Overall, he played 105 first-team matches for Portsmouth. He died in a car accident near Bournemouth in August 2001. [cite news |title=Pompey keeper dies in crash |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/football/teams/p/portsmouth/1474568.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2001-08-05 |accessdate=2007-09-01] An inquest heard that Flahavan died as a result of a fractured skull, and his blood alcohol level was nearly three times over the legal limit when he lost control of his BMW sports car.cite news |title=Goalkeeper over drink-drive limit |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/england/1668779.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=2001-11-21 |accessdate=2007-09-01]

Following his death, Portsmouth and Southampton retired his number 1 jersey for the 2001–02 season as a mark of respect. [cite news |title=Hundreds pay tribute to Flahavan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/1489305.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2001-08-13 |accessdate=2007-09-01]

His younger brother Darryl is currently goalkeeper at Crystal Palace.

Aaron was a narcoleptic and twice had blackouts during matches. [cite news |title=High fives as Pompey strikers click |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_19980913/ai_n14478764 |publisher=Sunday Mirror |date=1998-09-13 |accessdate=2007-09-01] [cite news |title=Burley and Francis show mutual respect |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19990918/ai_n14254343 |publisher=The Independent |date=1999-09-18 |accessdate=2007-09-01]

References