Peter Downsborough

Not seen anything about this till coming on here just now.
Very sad to hear about ex City players passing on.I remember
him in 1976 at home in 6th round of cup against Southampton
and it seems like yesterday.

He was very experienced and proved in later stages of his
career with us, that he was an exceptional keeper.

Anyone know how old he was?

R.I.P. Peter,you will be fondly remembered by all the fans
of all the club's you played for.

 

He was my first keeper too. I fondly remember whilst City were warming up prior to kick off, one of our strikers hit a ball over the bar into the Kop and one of the City fans in the sparsely populated Kop hit the ball on the volley straight back to him. He came up to the wall and gestured to the fan he should be signed. Great keeper and seemed a genuinely nice guy. Thanks big fella. A great City keeper.

 

He was 76 I believe. I would also agree with your words and say he was a City legend. A safe, agile keeper, capable of exciting and incredible keeping as I recall. RIP Peter Sad to lose another of my heroes always fondly remembered by me.

 

Totally agree pns,it's a strange situation now as players I watched are
passing on and it's like they are a part of you and it brings home your
own mortality as age happens with the consequences it brings.

I remember when George Mulholland died and that brought very acute
memories for me.When the changing rooms were in a house on the corner
of the old kop I used to wait for the players as a kid to get autographs
and on several occasions he signed for me.One time he put his hand on my
shoulder and asked if I wanted to play for City! He was an absolute gent
and a bonus was he had really nice handwriting and you could read it!

Another strange thing was he looked like my future father in laws twin brother!

 

Very sad loss, true city legend.

 

Top Keeper always remember that name always a sad time to lose sportsmen who did there all.
Also my rugby team Cougars have lost a legend yesterday at a young age Phil Stephenson. These guys gave us joy and hapiness lets not forget.

 

And got paid a pittance compared to the overpaid prima donnas of today!!

 

Echoing the thoughts of the more "mature" members on here. Loved Peter Downsborough. Pat Liney made me want to be a keeper but, and no disrespect intended to Pay or his lad, Peter was simply the best keeper I remember seeing play for City.
RIP.

 

And in the days when they didn`t wear the massive gloves they wear today, with a heavier ball and often on a quagmire of a pitch. Also they were not "protected" like they are today, many were bundled over the line by burly centre forwards, even when they had the ball. Proper goalkeepers.

 

As you get older memories tend to fade but the odd player stands out and without doubt Peter Downsborough did, I can assosiate with all the previous comments, ironically he was another great player and Yorkshire lad we got from Swindon.

Peter Downsborough R.I.P.

 

RIP Peter

My first keeper too and along with Ces Podd and Joe Cook, my first real hero.

It was that FA Cup run, that stopped me following Leeds and started me supporting a proper club!!

 

Peter explained this once. He said that he stepped very slightly to one side and the penalty taker would then shoot into the slightly wider space. Top man.

 

R.I.P Peter, Heart of a lion and a pleasure to watch,

 

Sir Bobby will be firing shots at him now to keep him on his toes
PIP Peter
One of the best in my time

 

Far too young to of ever seen him play, but what a glowing review on the website. Well done City.

https://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/2019/september/peter-downsborough-1943-2019/

RIP

 

As most have already said, one of the best keepers in my time of watching since the early 60's.
Slight factual inaccuracy on the website as I believe it was Southampton who knocked us out of the cup (we beat Norwich).
It is always sad when one of your heroes passes away, a drawback of getting old unfortunately.

 

Beaten by Southampton by an illegal goal.

 

We should appeal...

 

The 28 September 1974 v Stockport County was my first City game. Peter Downsborough was in goal and he kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 City win. How uncanny then that he should sadly pass on the same day 45 years later 28/09/2019. He was in my view "fearless" as a goalkeeper; facing down the "big forrads" that pervaded the game in his time. He also rarely used gloves as I recollect ?. How fitting that our first opponents post Peters death are indeed Swindon for whom he also starred and was a League cup winner as third tier Swindon defeated top tier Arsenal at Wembley. Would be brilliant if we could have an action photo of him on the front of Saturdays programme to commemorate the game. Which is the nearest home game to when my Bradford City story began. I am sure both sets of fans will come together to salute Peters memory before the game.