Nigel Sims

{{Short description|English footballer (1931–2018)}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Nigel Sims

| image = Nigel Sims (Turin, 1959).jpg

| caption = Sims in training in 1959

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|8|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|1|6|1931|8|9|df=y}}

| height =

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 194x–1948 | clubs1 = Stapenhill | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1948–1956 | clubs2 = Wolverhampton Wanderers | caps2 = 38 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1956–1964 | clubs3 = Aston Villa | caps3 = 264 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1963 | clubs4 = Toronto City | caps4 = | goals4 =

| years5 = 1964–1965 | clubs5 = Peterborough United | caps5 = 16 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 1967 | clubs6 = Toronto Falcons | caps6 = 2 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = | clubs7 = Toronto Italia | caps7 = | goals7 =

| totalcaps = 320

| totalgoals = 0

}}

David Nigel Sims (9 August 1931 – 6 January 2018) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Peterborough United in the 1950s and 1960s.{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/nigelsims.html |title=Nigel Sims |work=UK A–Z Transfers |publisher=Neil Brown |access-date=19 December 2009}}

Sims was born at Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire. He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Stapenhill in August 1948 as understudy to Bert Williams, and made his first-team debut on 18 April 1949 in a 1–1 draw with Sheffield United in the First Division.{{cite web |url=http://www.wolves-stats.co.uk/1948-1949_Team_Details.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227141526/http://www.wolves-stats.co.uk/1948-1949_Team_Details.html |archive-date=27 February 2012 |title=Team Details: 1948–1949 |publisher=Wolves-Stats |access-date=19 December 2009}} While a National Serviceman in 1950, Sims played for the Army in a representative match against an Irish Football Association XI.{{cite web |url=http://nifootball.blogspot.com/2009/04/13-september-1950.html |title=13 September 1950 |first=George |last=Glass |work=Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats |date=12 April 2009 |access-date=19 December 2009}} During his eight seasons at Wolves he only made 39 appearances{{cite web |url=http://www.wolves-stats.co.uk/A-Z.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227140833/http://www.wolves-stats.co.uk/A-Z.html |archive-date=27 February 2012 |title=Players. A–Z |publisher=Wolves-Stats |access-date=19 December 2009}} before transferring to Midlands rivals Aston Villa in March 1956.{{cite web |url=http://www.astonvillaplayerdatabase.com/1239.html |title=Sims, Nigel David |work=Aston Villa Player Database |publisher=Jörn Mårtensson |access-date=19 December 2009}} He made his debut against Burnley that same month.

He was on the winning side in the 1957 FA Cup final, in which Villa beat Manchester United 2–1,{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engcuphistfinal.html |title=England – FA Cup Finals 1946–2000 |date=15 February 2006 |first=Didier |last=Fort |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |access-date=19 December 2009}} followed three years later by a Second Division winners' medal. In 1961, he helped Villa lift the inaugural League Cup.{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engleagcuphistfinal.html |title=England – League Cup Finals 1961–2001 |date=25 February 2001 |first=Didier |last=Fort |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |access-date=19 December 2009}}

He played representative matches for the Football League,{{cite news |title=Young Football League Team. Change of Policy Justified |newspaper=The Times |date=23 September 1957 |page=13}} and in 1958, was the first winner of Aston Villa supporters' "Terrace Trophy".{{cite web |url=http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~1675425,00.html |title=Lions Roar at Awards |publisher=Aston Villa F.C |date=28 May 2009 |access-date=10 April 2014}}

In September 1964, having lost his place in the side, he transferred to Peterborough United. He appeared only sixteen times for them before trying his luck in Canada, having already spent a summer with Toronto City in the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League.{{Cite book|last=Jose|first=Colin|title=On-Side – 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario|publisher=Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum|year=2001|location=Vaughan, Ontario|pages=232}} He appeared twice for the Toronto Falcons in the National Professional Soccer League,{{cite web |url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/S/Sims.Nigel.htm |title=North American Soccer League Players Nigel Sims |work=NASL Jerseys |publisher=Dave Morrison |access-date=19 December 2009}} and also played for Toronto Italia.

In Safe Hands, a book about his footballing memories, was published in August 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.abzpublications.co.uk/in-safe-hands/ |title=In Safe Hands: Nigel Sims' Football Memories |access-date=9 September 2012}}