Dave Philpotts

A powerfully built centre-half who was a product of City’s youth scheme and played in the same youth team as Mick Ferguson and Donal Murphy. Gordon Milne gave him his first team chance in October 1973 after regular stopper John Craven was injured. On his debut he was given a torrid time by two wily old Stoke strikers Geoff Hurst and John Ritchie. His arrival coincided with a slump in City’s form and all three league games he played were lost, although he was on the winning side in a League Cup replay against Bristol City. Milne did not have time to persevere with Philpotts and recalled Bobby Parker in his place. Soon afterwards he went on loan to Fourth Division Southport and seemed more comfortable at the lower level. In the summer of 1974 he joined Tranmere and over the next four years barely missed a game until a slipped disc (from a gardening injury) led to an operation in 1979. He then spent four years in the United States plying for two teams managed by Rodney Marsh, New York United and Carolina Lightning before homesickness brought him back to Tranmere to complete his league career. Following his retirement owing to a recurrence of his back trouble, he became Reserve and Youth Team coach at Prenton and has held similar positions at Wigan Athletic and Stockport County.