Alan Sproates

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Ray Simpson
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Alan Sproates

Post by Ray Simpson » Thu Feb 05, 2015 11:45 pm

Sad to hear that Alan Sproates, a member of the 1966 promotion winning team, died today at the age of 70.

Darlospike
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by Darlospike » Thu Feb 05, 2015 11:49 pm

Very sad news indeed! RIP Alan.

princes town
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by princes town » Thu Feb 05, 2015 11:52 pm

http://www.darlington1883.co.uk/?page_id=159

The club produced this summary of his career.

Alan played over 315 league games for Quakers and was voted one of the members of the all time Darlo Dream Team when Darlington moved to the Arena.

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coles
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by coles » Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:24 am

Hopefully a minutes silence at tomorrows game as a mark of respect sad news but I'm sure all Quaker fans would like the opportunity to show their thanks for his performances in a DFC shirt.

joejaques
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by joejaques » Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:42 am

One of my childhood heroes, RIP Sproatsie. :cry: :roll:
Image

dickdarlington
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by dickdarlington » Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:13 am

A minutes silence tomorrow for both Alan, and Ken as we haven't had a home game since the news of Mr Furphy too.

Sproates is from way before my time, but some of the older guys I know often go on about him. He must have been quite a player for us to be remembered so fondly.

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RUMPLESTILTSKIN
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by RUMPLESTILTSKIN » Fri Feb 06, 2015 12:06 pm

Without doubt a member of Darlo's best ever 11.

RIP
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is King

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QuakerPete
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by QuakerPete » Fri Feb 06, 2015 1:14 pm

Sad to hear of his passing. RIP

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AlanSprouts
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by AlanSprouts » Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:23 pm

My favourite player from 1967, the start of my Quaker career. Hence the name tag.
God bless Alan and thanks.

Ray Simpson
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by Ray Simpson » Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:32 pm

If anyone has any memories of him, just mail them to me on raysimpson1uk@yahoo.co.uk and I'll try and include them in a tribute for the next programme. There's a tribute to Ken Furphy in tomorrow's prog.

fanforlife
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by fanforlife » Fri Feb 06, 2015 5:42 pm

i remember back in the early seventies when i was in my last year at hurworth secondary modern school we had an end of season pupils against teachers match. the school must have asked the club if they could send somebody down to play in the match and that somebody was alan sproates . smiled his way through the game and seemed a really nice bloke . r.i.p

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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by Kentquaker » Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:36 pm

I went to Alan's testimonial in the seventies against Middlesbrough. I remember on the front of the programme a picture of Alan with Pele. Sad loss RIP Alan

Ray Simpson
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by Ray Simpson » Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:47 pm

Alan sent me a copy of that pic to put in Farewell to Feethams

Darlo_Pete
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by Darlo_Pete » Fri Feb 06, 2015 7:43 pm

RIP Alan, sadly he wasn't playing anymore when I started to watch Darlo. But I heard much about him though.

LoidLucan
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by LoidLucan » Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:25 pm

To be honest I'd rather hear a big round of applause for these legendary names in the history of Darlington FC. Much more appropriate than silence. These lads were used to the noise from the Tinshed End. It would be far better to hear it for them than mark our appreciation with silence. They didn't breeze in and out of the club, they stuck around for years, they were loyal and gave their all and I think putting our hands together is the right way to show respect. I bet they'd like Darlo fans to remember them with a smile on their faces.
Last edited by LoidLucan on Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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divas
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by divas » Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:30 pm

LoidLucan wrote:To be honest I'd rather hear a big round of applause for these legendary names in the history of Darlington FC. Much more appropriate than silence. These lads were used to the noise from the Tinshed End. It would be far better to hear it for them than mark our appreciation with silence. They didn't breeze in and out of the club, they stuck around for years, they were loyal and gave their all and I think putting our hands together is the right way to show respect.
:clap: :clap:

Darlo_Pete
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by Darlo_Pete » Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:57 am

LoidLucan wrote:To be honest I'd rather hear a big round of applause for these legendary names in the history of Darlington FC. Much more appropriate than silence. These lads were used to the noise from the Tinshed End. It would be far better to hear it for them than mark our appreciation with silence. They didn't breeze in and out of the club, they stuck around for years, they were loyal and gave their all and I think putting our hands together is the right way to show respect. I bet they'd like Darlo fans to remember them with a smile on their faces.
I disagree. A minutes silence is far more poignant.

footifan
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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by footifan » Sat Feb 07, 2015 5:32 pm

RUMPLESTILTSKIN wrote:Without doubt a member of Darlo's best ever 11.

RIP
So sad to hear this.
I agree, a quality player. I just commented in the last week or so about him doing keepy up in the corner during a match at Doncaster in front of a massive crowd, winning free kick after free kick to help hold onto a 1 - 0 win.

The last time I saw him he looked the picture of health.

Certainly one of the best player I have seen in a Darlo shirt in 57 years of supporting the Quakers.

RIP Alan

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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by footifan » Sat Feb 07, 2015 5:33 pm

RUMPLESTILTSKIN wrote:Without doubt a member of Darlo's best ever 11.

RIP
So sad to hear this.
I agree, a quality player. I just commented in the last week or so about him doing keepy up in the corner during a match at Doncaster in front of a massive crowd, winning free kick after free kick to help hold onto a 1 - 0 win.

The last time I saw him he looked the picture of health.

Certainly one of the best player I have seen in a Darlo shirt in 57 years of supporting the Quakers.

RIP Alan

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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by Sussex07 » Sun Feb 08, 2015 9:32 am

Kentquaker wrote:I went to Alan's testimonial in the seventies against Middlesbrough. I remember on the front of the programme a picture of Alan with Pele. Sad loss RIP Alan
I seem to remember going to this game.. the likes of Bobby Moncur,Jim Montgomery and a few others turned up in the crowd.

RIP Alan.

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Re: Alan Sproates

Post by Neil Johnson » Sun Feb 08, 2015 9:42 am

He seemed like an ever present, who wasn't accorded star status, like the strikers, but to the fans he was a dependable attacking midfield player through some great years and times of board induced trouble.

Had a particularly good game against Derby away in the league cup 4-5 defeat.

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