Roy Cheetham

Infobox Football biography
playername = Roy Cheetham


dateofbirth = birth date|1939|12|21
cityofbirth = Eccles
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height = 5' 11"
position = Winger
youthyears = 1956
youthclubs = Manchester City
years = 1956–1968
1968
1968
1968–1972
clubs = Manchester City
Detroit Cougars
Charlton Athletic
Chester City
Windsor Stars
caps(goals) = 127 0(5)
0?? (??)
000 0(0)
124 0(8)
0?? (??)

Roy Alexander John Cheetham (born 21 December, 1939 in Eccles, Greater Manchester) is an English former footballer who played for Manchester City, Detroit Cougars, Charlton Athletic and Chester City.

As a boy Cheetham watched Manchester City and Manchester United on alternate Saturdays.cite web | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/12/22/sfnrp22.xml | title= The day Fred Eyre laid on a goal for mighty Puskas | work=Daily Telegraph | accessdate=2007-12-22 ] His career began when he signed for Manchester City as an amateur in 1956. Later that year he turned professional. He made his debut in the 1957–58 season in a 2–1 win against Luton Town. In the following match he was given a torrid time by Arsenal's Jimmy Bloomfield, and returned to the reserves. [cite book |last=Wallace|first=Dave |title=Century City – Manchester City Football Club 1957/58 |publisher=King of the Kippax |date=2007 |location=Leigh |id=ISBN 978-0-9557056-0-1 p205] The following season he began to play more regularly, and he progressed to make 137 first team appearances over the course of a decade.

On 30 August 1965 he became the first Manchester City player to be used as a substitute, replacing Mike Summerbee in a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. [cite book |last=James |first=Gary |title=Manchester City - The Complete Record |publisher=Breedon |location=Derby |date=2006 |id=ISBN 1-85983-512-0 p522]

Cheetham played three times in Manchester City's 1967–68 championship winning season. He moved to Detroit Cougars of the NASL in January 1968. During his season in Detroit he scored three penalties in a single match against Dallas. [cite news | title=Roy Cheetham | work=Manchester City FC Match programme | date=2007-08-15 ] He then returned to England, signing for Charlton Athletic. He did make any first team appearances for Charlton, and transferred to Chester City in December 1968, where he became club penalty taker [cite book | author=Chas Sumner | title=On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City 1885-1997 | year=1997| pages= p.83 |id=ISBN 1-874427-52-6] . He made 124 league appearances at Chester before leaving in 1972, with his final appearance being a goalless draw at home to Crewe Alexandra on 22 April 1972. This marked the end of his Football League career. A second spell in North America followed in the form of a period at Windsor Stars in Canada. He later managed non-league club Great Harwood Town.

In 1999 Cheetham made a trip to Budapest to meet childhood hero Ferenc Puskas, and in 2006 represented Manchester City at Puskas' funeral. As of 2007, Cheetham is treasurer of Manchester City's Former Players' Association. [cite web | url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_city/s/230/230137_city_pay_respects_to_puskas.html | title= City pay respects to Puskas | work=Manchester Evening News | accessdate=2007-12-22 ]

References