Former centre-half passes away
Portsmouth Football Club were saddened to learn of the death of Vince Radcliffe, who recently passed away in Australia at the age of 68.
The centre-half, who hailed from Manchester, made 14 appearances for the Blues between 1963 and 1967.
He made his debut at Fratton Park in a 3-2 League Cup victory against Derby, replacing the legendary Jimmy Dickinson, who had been rested that evening.
And when Dickinson retired at the end of the 1964/65 campaign, Radcliffe was given the chance to make the vacated defensive berth his own.
Unfortunately, in the third game of the season at The Dell, a heavy challenge from Southampton’s Cliff Huxford left him with a double fracture in his right leg.
A 16-month spell on the sidelines followed and Vince made just eight more appearances upon his return.
One of those was an FA Cup fourth round tie against Tottenham at White Hart Lane, with 57,910 watching Pompey lose 3-1 to the eventual winners.
Radcliffe was granted a free transfer at the end of the 1966/67 season and went on to play for Peterborough and Rochdale, helping the latter win promotion from the fourth division.
He emigrated to Western Australia in the 1970s and remained actively involved in the game.
Portsmouth Football Club send their condolences to Vince’s widow Eileen, son Mark and all his other family and friends.