Dave Maclaren

memory man · May 31, 2016

At half-time yesterday I went to my Facebook page and found a message from Alison Maclaren, daughter of our former goalkeeper Dave. It was to inform me that her Dad is seriously ill in a Castlemaine, Victoria hospital after a stroke and is not expected to return home. (He is in the Acute Ward of Castlemaine Hospital, Room 821B and Alison believes correspondence may help). At his absolute best he was probably the finest goalkeeper of my time watching Argyle (1957 >) and at one stage in 1962 got close to the Scotland squad. He was a part of the 1961-62 side which took us to 5th place in the old Second Division, something we have yet to better in the succeeding 54 seasons. He started at Dundee but was blocked by Bill Brown's form. He went to Leicester and had a brilliant run until getting injured. A young man called Gordon Banks deputised and that was that! He arrived at Home Park in the summer of 1960 and made more appearances for us than any of his other clubs. Our former caretaker-manager Andy Beattie then took him to Wolves in early 1965. On 18 September 1965 he was on the wrong end of a 9-3 defeat at the Dell, where all the goals were scored within the first hour of the game. Remarkably, just one year and six days later made his debut for Southampton at West Ham! Their supporters raised a collective eyebrow but their manager Ted Bates felt that without Maclaren's display Wolves may have conceded 15! (History shows that in their next four games Wolves kept clean sheets) He went on to help keep Saints in the First Division in what was their first ever season at that level. Away from the game he was a remarkable man - marvellous raconteur, skilled piano player and famous for being able to flick a shilling piece (5p) from his toe to his blazer pocket (and never missing). A read on GoS of the events of the trip to Poland in 1963 contains details of his breakfast-time entertainment.
I am sure I speak for us all when I say our thoughts are with Alison and her Mum Isobel. Whilst I was disappointed at the events of the second half at Wembley yesterday, the news I had recieved from Australia at half-time at least offered me a bit of perspective.

kernow19 · Jun 2, 2016

Very sorry to hear this news about one of my all-time favourite Argyle keepers. I wish him and his family well.

Keepitgreen · Jun 3, 2016

memory man":2ifkhi79 said:
At half-time yesterday I went to my Facebook page and found a message from Alison Maclaren, daughter of our former goalkeeper Dave. It was to inform me that her Dad is seriously ill in a Castlemaine, Victoria hospital after a stroke and is not expected to return home. (He is in the Acute Ward of Castlemaine Hospital, Room 821B and Alison believes correspondence may help). At his absolute best he was probably the finest goalkeeper of my time watching Argyle (1957 >) and at one stage in 1962 got close to the Scotland squad. He was a part of the 1961-62 side which took us to 5th place in the old Second Division, something we have yet to better in the succeeding 54 seasons. He started at Dundee but was blocked by Bill Brown's form. He went to Leicester and had a brilliant run until getting injured. A young man called Gordon Banks deputised and that was that! He arrived at Home Park in the summer of 1960 and made more appearances for us than any of his other clubs. Our former caretaker-manager Andy Beattie then took him to Wolves in early 1965. On 18 September 1965 he was on the wrong end of a 9-3 defeat at the Dell, where all the goals were scored within the first hour of the game. Remarkably, just one year and six days later made his debut for Southampton at West Ham! Their supporters raised a collective eyebrow but their manager Ted Bates felt that without Maclaren's display Wolves may have conceded 15! (History shows that in their next four games Wolves kept clean sheets) He went on to help keep Saints in the First Division in what was their first ever season at that level. Away from the game he was a remarkable man - marvellous raconteur, skilled piano player and famous for being able to flick a shilling piece (5p) from his toe to his blazer pocket (and never missing). A read on GoS of the events of the trip to Poland in 1963 contains details of his breakfast-time entertainment.
I am sure I speak for us all when I say our thoughts are with Alison and her Mum Isobel. Whilst I was disappointed at the events of the second half at Wembley yesterday, the news I had recieved from Australia at half-time at least offered me a bit of perspective.

Steve, I see that he'll be 86 on the 12th June. He played a bit before I started supporting Argyle but if you can get an email address I wouldn't mind emailing a birthday message.

memory man · Jun 4, 2016

Keepitgreen":19ty7oa5 said:
memory man":19ty7oa5 said:

At half-time yesterday I went to my Facebook page and found a message from Alison Maclaren, daughter of our former goalkeeper Dave. It was to inform me that her Dad is seriously ill in a Castlemaine, Victoria hospital after a stroke and is not expected to return home. (He is in the Acute Ward of Castlemaine Hospital, Room 821B and Alison believes correspondence may help). At his absolute best he was probably the finest goalkeeper of my time watching Argyle (1957 >) and at one stage in 1962 got close to the Scotland squad. He was a part of the 1961-62 side which took us to 5th place in the old Second Division, something we have yet to better in the succeeding 54 seasons. He started at Dundee but was blocked by Bill Brown's form. He went to Leicester and had a brilliant run until getting injured. A young man called Gordon Banks deputised and that was that! He arrived at Home Park in the summer of 1960 and made more appearances for us than any of his other clubs. Our former caretaker-manager Andy Beattie then took him to Wolves in early 1965. On 18 September 1965 he was on the wrong end of a 9-3 defeat at the Dell, where all the goals were scored within the first hour of the game. Remarkably, just one year and six days later made his debut for Southampton at West Ham! Their supporters raised a collective eyebrow but their manager Ted Bates felt that without Maclaren's display Wolves may have conceded 15! (History shows that in their next four games Wolves kept clean sheets) He went on to help keep Saints in the First Division in what was their first ever season at that level. Away from the game he was a remarkable man - marvellous raconteur, skilled piano player and famous for being able to flick a shilling piece (5p) from his toe to his blazer pocket (and never missing). A read on GoS of the events of the trip to Poland in 1963 contains details of his breakfast-time entertainment.
I am sure I speak for us all when I say our thoughts are with Alison and her Mum Isobel. Whilst I was disappointed at the events of the second half at Wembley yesterday, the news I had recieved from Australia at half-time at least offered me a bit of perspective.

Click to expand...

Steve, I see that he'll be 86 on the 12th June. He played a bit before I started supporting Argyle but if you can get an email address I wouldn't mind emailing a birthday message.

You have a pm - indeed you may have two thanks to my poor keyboard technique.

Lousy Pint · Jun 7, 2016

I have just noticed this thread and that is very sad news indeed.

Dave was a great hero of mine. He was in goal when my Dad first started taking me to HP and he has remained one of my favourite Argyle keepers ever since.

Please pass on my best regards and fondest memories to Alison and the family if you are in touch with them.

What with the news of Nicky Jennings as well as Dave's illness, it certainly does put things into perspective.

Green as Grass · Jun 17, 2016

Having supported Argyle for over 60 years I believe Dave Maclaren is the best goalkeeper I have seen play for us. Through out the five years(1960-65) he played we were in the second tier of English football (now known as the Championship). He was hugely popular with the fans and a very competent goalkeeper.
Halfway through the 1965 season the then Manager Malcolm Allison saw fit to replace him in goal with Noel Dwyer. Dwyer was overweight and his reflexes had gone. There were rumours at the time that Dwyer was brought to Argyle for non footballing reasons. He was hugely unpopular with the fans and left within the year after having played only 29 games.
Maclaren being replaced in goal by Dwyer was the biggest factor in Allison losing the confidence of the supporters who turned against him and he left his first spell at Home Park after just one season in charge despite taking Argyle to the semi finals of the Football League Cup.

George Willis · Jun 18, 2016

Green as Grass":397huwxv said:
Having supported Argyle for over 60 years I believe Dave Maclaren is the best goalkeeper I have seen play for us. Through out the five years(1960-65) he played we were in the second tier of English football (now known as the Championship). He was hugely popular with the fans and a very competent goalkeeper.
Halfway through the 1965 season the then Manager Malcolm Allison saw fit to replace him in goal with Noel Dwyer. Dwyer was overweight and his reflexes had gone. There were rumours at the time that Dwyer was brought to Argyle for non footballing reasons. He was hugely unpopular with the fans and left within the year after having played only 29 games.
Maclaren being replaced in goal by Dwyer was the biggest factor in Allison losing the confidence of the supporters who turned against him and he left his first spell at Home Park after just one season in charge despite taking Argyle to the semi finals of the Football League Cup.

Just a clarification here. Dave Maclaren had been transferred to Wolves who came after him half way through the season, before Dwyer joined the club. Rumour at the time was that he was happy to take the transfer because of off field issues with Allison. Leiper played for a couple of games prior to Dwyer''s arrival.

I totally agree that the choice of Dwyer as a replacement was a disaster in more ways than and Allison insisting on playing him eventually led to the manager leaving the club.

Green as Grass · Jun 21, 2016

George Willis":2wmn9zi6 said:
Green as Grass":2wmn9zi6 said:

Having supported Argyle for over 60 years I believe Dave Maclaren is the best goalkeeper I have seen play for us. Through out the five years(1960-65) he played we were in the second tier of English football (now known as the Championship). He was hugely popular with the fans and a very competent goalkeeper.
Halfway through the 1965 season the then Manager Malcolm Allison saw fit to replace him in goal with Noel Dwyer. Dwyer was overweight and his reflexes had gone. There were rumours at the time that Dwyer was brought to Argyle for non footballing reasons. He was hugely unpopular with the fans and left within the year after having played only 29 games.
Maclaren being replaced in goal by Dwyer was the biggest factor in Allison losing the confidence of the supporters who turned against him and he left his first spell at Home Park after just one season in charge despite taking Argyle to the semi finals of the Football League Cup.

Click to expand...

Just a clarification here. Dave Maclaren had been transferred to Wolves who came after him half way through the season, before Dwyer joined the club. Rumour at the time was that he was happy to take the transfer because of off field issues with Allison. Leiper played for a couple of games prior to Dwyer''s arrival.

I totally agree that the choice of Dwyer as a replacement was a disaster in more ways than and Allison insisting on playing him eventually led to the manager leaving the club.

You are correct Allison had dropped Dave Maclaren and replaced him in goal with John Leiper after a match at Cardiff on 19th December 1964 which Argyle lost 4-0. Dave Maclaren was transferred to Wolves in January 1965 the same month as Noel Dwyer arrived from Swansea. John Leiper played 2 league matches before being replaced in goal by Dwyer. My memory of events at the time was that Allison had engineered the exit of Dave Maclaren to Wolves in order to get Noel Dwyer for what was rumoured to be non footballing reasons. Argyle supporters were very unhappy with those two transfers.

mercedes · Jun 22, 2016

What do you mean - 'Non footballing reasons'?

memory man · Jun 22, 2016

mercedes":3u7ksbja said:
What do you mean - 'Non footballing reasons'?

According to those who were there at the time the rumours/non-footballing reasons were simply unfounded gossip (like some of today's "internet facts"). I am now close enough to several of the players from that era that had there been anything in it, I would have been told, at worst "off the record". By the way, you have a pm from the last time we communicated via this board.

mercedes · Jun 24, 2016

Hi Memory Man

I haven't seen any PM from you - please send again.

Green as Grass · Jun 28, 2016

mercedes":rvbsvl3n said:
What do you mean - 'Non footballing reasons'?

Dwyer was certainly not in the team on ability although he had starred in Swansea Town's (as they were called then) FA Cup run in 1963-64 when as a second division (now the Championship) team they reached the Semi Final losing 2-1 to Preston and had beaten Liverpool the League Champions in an earlier round.
Sadly by the time he came to us Dwyer was past his sell buy date. The rumour that I heard at the time was that he owed Malcolm Allison money and this was a way Allison could keep an eye on things. I think they may have been at West Ham together in 1958.
Despite Dwyer performing badly in goal Allison persisted in playing him. The fans were outraged at Allison and I believe there was pressure from the boardroom for John Leiper to play. Allison left Argyle at the end of the 64-65 season after a dispute over team selection. This I believe was the reason.

Pogleswoody · Jun 29, 2016

My memory of Dwyer is that he must have played an integral part in the introduction of the 4 step rule/6 seconds timeout for keepers. He used to walk up and down the goal line keeping the ball up with his head. When a forward 'rushed' him he would snatch the ball down, wait, then start again.
I was a youngish teenage boy in those days so found it all quite amusing!! :lol:

Think he was a better header of a ball than a catcher mind! :doh:

memory man · Jul 27, 2016

It is now nearly two months since I heard that Dave was seriously ill. Despite everything his daughter Alison tells me that he continues to fight on. It sounds as if the great courage that sent him diving at the feet of men wearing football boots with toe-caps like concrete still serves him well. I think it is somehow worse that when we think of these players from so long ago. we still tend to have in our mind's eye this image of the fit and athletic person they were back then.

argyleapf · Sep 14, 2016

So sorry to hear this news. I am always amazed Dave's name does not occure as often as it deserves. I have very fond memories of him as a very accomplished keeper in my early days as a supporter. I always thought he had a Scotish cap but may have been wrong without checking.

One of the best, of a very good selection of top class keepers we have had.
:sad: