RAY GODDARDRay Goddard, who died from a stroke on 11 December, 2007, enjoyed successful spells between the sticks at three of London’s less fashionable clubs, Leyton Orient, Millwall and Wimbledon.
Mr Goddard, who was born in Fulham in 1949, was an apprentice at his local club during his teens. In March 1967 he transferred to Orient and made his debut two months later aged just 18.
During his eight years at the club he came to be regarded as the best keeper in their history. He was part of the side that won the 1969/70 Division Three Championship and they narrowly missed out on promotion to the First Division in 1974.
After 278 league appearances for the O’s, he signed for Millwall in 1974. He helped them gain promotion to the Second Division in his first season and played a total of 80 games.
In 1978 he joined Wimbledon, who had only been elected to the Football League the previous year, for £45,00. He held the goalkeeper’s jersey at Plough Lane for four years, made 143 appearances and played a key role in the beginnings of the club’s rapid ascent through the Football League divisions.
He was also famed for scoring two penalties for the Dons, one in a League Cup penalty shoot-out against his former club Orient in 1979 and the second in his final League game against Bury in 1981, beating Neville Southall from the spot.
He played out the remainder of his career with non-league side Wealdstone before retiring to run a bar in Spain. He had recently visited AFC Wimbledon to catch up with old friends. He was 58 years old when he died.
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