Colin Askey

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Colin Askey

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Colin Askey

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1932|10|03|df=y}}

| birth_place = Milton, Stoke-on-Trent, England

| death_date =

| height =

| position = Right winger

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Milton Youth Club

| youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = British Aluminium

| youthyears3 = 1947–1949| youthclubs3 = Port Vale

| years1 = 1949–1958| clubs1 = Port Vale | caps1 = 200| goals1 = 21

| years2 = 1958–1962| clubs2 = Walsall | caps2 = 83| goals2 = 12

| years3 = 1962–1964| clubs3 = Mansfield Town | caps3 = 30| goals3 = 2

| years4 = | clubs4 = Wellington Town | caps4 = | goals4 =

| years5 = | clubs5 = Stafford Rangers | caps5 = | goals5 =

| years6 = | clubs6 = Winsford United | caps6 = | goals6 =

| years7 = 1965–1966| clubs7 = Macclesfield Town| caps7 = 3| goals7 = 0

| years8 = | clubs8 = Milton United | caps8 = | goals8 =

| totalcaps = 316+ | totalgoals = 35+

| manageryears1 = | managerclubs1 = Milton United

}}

Colin Askey (born 3 October 1932) is an English former footballer who played on the right wing. He made 341 league and cup appearances in a 15-year career in the English Football League, scoring 40 goals. His son, John Askey, played for and managed Macclesfield Town.

He is most famed for his time at Port Vale, where he scored 23 goals in 217 games between 1949 and 1958. This period was one of the most memorable in the club's history, as the "Valiants" stormed to the Third Division North title and FA Cup semi-finals in 1953–54. Following this, he spent four years with Walsall and then two years at Mansfield Town. He won two successive promotions with the "Saddlers" in 1959–60 and 1960–61, and also won promotion out of the Fourth Division with the "Stags" in 1962–63. He then went into non-League football, playing for Wellington Town, Stafford Rangers, Winsford United, Macclesfield Town, and Milton United.

Playing career

=Port Vale=

Askey was a ground-staff boy at Port Vale in 1947.{{cite book|title=Soccer Who's Who|editor=Maurice Golesworthy|publisher=The Sportsmans Book Club|location=London|year=1965}}

Askey came through the Port Vale juniors to sign professional forms in October 1949.{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Jeff|title=Port Vale Personalities|publisher=Witan Books|page=10|year=1996|isbn=0-9529152-0-0|id= {{ASIN|0952915200|country=ca}}}} He had the option of signing with Stoke City or Bolton Wanderers, but felt he had more chance to win a first-team place at The Old Recreation Ground. He played four Third Division South games for Gordon Hodgson's "Valiants" in 1949–50 after making his debut in a 2–1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on 18 March, though spent much of his time serving his conscription with the RAF. He featured seven times in 1951–52 and ten times in 1952–53, and scored his first senior goal on 6 April 1953, in a 2–2 draw with Chester City at Sealand Road. He scored six goals in 53 appearances in 1953–54, as Freddie Steele's side won the Third Division North title and reached the FA Cup semi-finals. Following his performance in a win at Ninian Park, First Division club Cardiff City made a blank cheque offer which was refused in January 1954.{{cite book|last=Sherwin|first=Phil|title=The Port Vale Miscellany|publisher=The History Press|location=Brimscombe Port|year=2010|pages=17|isbn=978-0-7524-5777-2}} Cardiff made the blank cheque offer after Vale initially rejected an offer of £30,000. Vale also recorded a win over Stanley Matthews' Blackpool on the way to the semi-finals, and were only denied a place in the final itself after some debatable refereeing decisions handed West Bromwich Albion victory in the semi-finals. He later recalled that Albert Leake's equalising goal was incorrectly ruled out for offside as "I'd pulled it back to him".{{cite news |last1=Baggaley |first1=Michael |title=Legend Colin Askey talks Port Vale, FA Cup and more on 90th birthday |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/colin-askey-port-vale-birthday-7653934 |access-date=3 October 2022 |work=StokeonTrentLive |date=3 October 2022 |language=en}}

Askey scored four goals in 39 Second Division games in 1954–55. He made 26 appearances in 1955–56, before he scored five goals in 39 games in 1956–57, as Vale suffered relegation under new boss Norman Low. He scored seven goals in 37 games in 1957–58, before he departed Vale Park when he was sold to Walsall for 'a fairly substantial fee' in July 1958. However, he continued to train at Vale Park until 17 December 1960, when he angered Norman Low by "celebrating too much" after helping Walsall beat Vale 6–2. Following that incident he trained at the Victoria Ground.

=Walsall=

The "Saddlers" finished sixth in the Fourth Division in 1958–59, just six points outside the promotion places. Bill Moore's side went on to win the league title in 1959–60, before winning a second-successive promotion with a second-place finish in the Third Division in 1960–61. The Fellows Park club posted a 14th-place finish in the Second Division in 1961–62 before Askey moved on to Mansfield Town.

=Mansfield Town=

Askey joined Mansfield Town on a free transfer in 1962.Soccer Who's Who compiled by Maurice Golesworthy The Sportsmans Club London 1965

He had spent 18 months on the sidelines after a horrific challenge from Port Vale's Roy Pritchard. The "Stags" won promotion out of the Fourth Division in fourth place in 1962–63 under Raich Carter's stewardship, and then finished seventh in the Third Division in 1963–64 under Tommy Cummings.

=Later career=

Askey then departed Field Mill and went on to play for Wellington Town (Southern League), Stafford Rangers, Winsford United, Macclesfield Town, Milton United, and pub teams 'The Ancient Briton' and 'The Miner's Arms' (in Milton).

Style of play

Former teammate Roy Sproson said: "Only his lack of real speed stopped Colin from becoming a great player because he had all the other equipment. A good crosser of the ball, Colin would take defenders on and was as brave as a lion, too", with a good "overall consistency."{{cite web |url=http://www.sprosonfund.com/Stories/sproson%27seleven.html |title=Sproson's Eleven |last=Harper |first=Chris |date=10 February 1975 |work=The Sentinel |accessdate=23 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119231734/http://www.sprosonfund.com/Stories/sproson%27seleven.html |archivedate=19 November 2008 }} He was fit enough to track back and defend when the opposition was in possession – a rare trait for attackers of the 1950s.{{cite news|title=Blackpool fans applauded me. It was a lovely feeling|url=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Blackpool-fans-applauded-lovely-feeling/story-17026275-detail/story.html|accessdate=3 October 2012|newspaper=The Sentinel|date=3 October 2012}} His former goalkeeper at Port Vale, Ray King, said that "He would consistently display a level of skill and an indomitable strength that were quite amazing" and he was impressed with his "phenomenal work rate" and the way that he "beat an opponent with comparative ease and passed and crossed the ball using either foot with supreme accuracy."{{cite news|last=Pearson|first=Guy|title=Twinkle toes Askey was driving force behind success|url=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/King-Twinkle-toes-Askey-driving-force-success/story-17045687-detail/story.html|accessdate=6 October 2012|newspaper=The Sentinel|date=6 October 2012}}

Management career

After finally retiring from football, he became the manager, later chairman, of Milton United. He also managed the Ind Coope Sunday League team before becoming the northern area manager of the Staffordshire Football Association. After retiring as a player he worked in the insurance industry.

Personal life

Askey met his wife June at the Palace Cinema in Hanley when they were 15 years old and they married in May 1953 St John's Church in Abbey Hulton.{{cite news |last1=Hiles |first1=Hannah |title=Port Vale legend celebrates 70 years of marriage to childhood sweetheart |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/port-vale-legend-celebrates-70-8429257 |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=StokeonTrentLive |date=11 May 2023 |language=en}} They had five children: Bob, Mark, Steve, John and Joanne.{{cite news |last1=Baggaley |first1=Michael |title='You appreciate things' – John Askey on Port Vale, potbanks and Sunday football |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/port-vale-john-askey-feature-4038459 |accessdate=11 April 2020 |work=Stoke Sentinel |date=10 April 2020}} John played for and managed Macclesfield Town before becoming manager of Port Vale, his father's club.{{cite book|last=Sherwin|first=Phil|title=Men of Steele|year=2013|publisher=Pass|location=Hanley, Staffordshire|isbn=978-0-9926579-1-8|pages=21}} Bob managed Newcastle Town.{{cite web|title=Askey Goes at Newcastle Town – Pitchero Non-League|url=http://nonleague.pitchero.com/news/askey-goes-newcastle-town/|website=Pitchero Non-League|accessdate=1 May 2018|date=26 February 2018}} His grandson, James Askey, played amateur football for Newcastle Town.{{cite news|title=Spot-kick keeps Castle climbing|url=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Spot-kick-keeps-Castle-climbing/story-17236486-detail/story.html|accessdate=5 November 2012|newspaper=The Sentinel|date=5 November 2012}} Askey was inducted int the Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of fame in November 2021.{{cite news |title=Six Sporting stars honoured by city |url=https://www.stoke.gov.uk/news/article/971/six_sporting_stars_honoured_by_city |access-date=15 March 2024 |work=www.stoke.gov.uk |date=8 November 2021 |language=en}}

Career statistics

Source:{{ENFA}}

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|FA Cup !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="10"\|Port Vale \|1949–50 \|Third Division South \|4	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
1950–51 \|Third Division South \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1951–52 \|Third Division South \|7	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
1952–53 \|Third Division North \|9	1	0	0	0	0	9	1
1953–54 \|Third Division North \|45	5	8	1	0	0	53	6
1954–55 \|Second Division \|39	4	3	0	0	0	42	4
1955–56 \|Second Division \|24	0	2	0	0	0	26	0
1956–57 \|Second Division \|37	5	2	0	0	0	39	5
1957–58 \|Third Division South \|35	6	2	1	0	0	37	7
colspan="2"\|Total !200	21	17	2	0	0	217	23
rowspan="5"\|Walsall \|1958–59 \|Fourth Division \|25	6	1	0	0	0	26	6
1959–60 \|Fourth Division \|12	2	0	0	0	0	12	2
1960–61 \|Third Division \|38	4	1	0	1	0	40	4
1961–62 \|Second Division \|8	0	0	0	1	0	9	0
colspan="2"\|Total !83	12	2	0	2	0	87	12
rowspan="3"\|Mansfield Town \|1962–63 \|Fourth Division \|25	2	5	3	2	0	32	5
1963–64 \|Third Division \|5	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
colspan="2"\|Total !30	2	5	3	2	0	37	5
colspan="3"\|Career total !313	35	24	5	4	0	341	40

Honours

Port Vale

Football League Third Division North: 1953–54{{Citation|last1=Sherwin|first1=Phil|last2=Askey|first2=Steve|title=Men of Steele: The story of Port Vale's stunning 1953/54 season|publisher=Pass Publishing|year=2013|isbn=978-0-9926579-1-8}}

Walsall