Graham Anthony Ricketts (30 July 1939 – 6 July 2025) was an English

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

. He played as a

wing half In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

for

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers FC is a men's professional football club in Bristol. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club is affiliated to Bristol Rovers W.F.C., whose team play in the FA Women's National Leag ...

Stockport County Stockport County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in EFL League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton ...

Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...

, and

Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third level of the English football league system. Peterborough United formed in ...

. He was also an England Youth international.

Club career

Ricketts began his career at

, moving to

in 1961.

Doncaster Rovers

Ricketts was signed in July 1964 by English fourth division club

, his debut being in a 5–2 defeat at

Bradford Park Avenue Bradford (Park Avenue) Association Football Club, sometimes abbreviated as BPA AFC, is an association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in , at the eighth tier of the English football league ...

on 22 August 1954.

Peterborough United

Ricketts was sold for £2,500 to

of the English third division in March 1968. His first game was against Stockport County on 9 March 1968, and his first goal was in a 1–1 draw at

Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1886, the club were inaugur ...

a week later. At the end of the 1969–70 season, Ricketts left to play for

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...

, and later played for March Town United and Yaxley.

International career

Ricketts was an England youth international, playing in four matches in February and March 1956.

Personal life and death

His grandson, Joe Burgess, played as a defender for Peterborough United, Histon, Fleetwood Town, Ilkeston, and Boston United. He had three daughters, five grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Ricketts died on 6 July 2025, at the age of 85.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricketts, Graham 1939 births 2025 deaths English men's footballers Footballers from Oxford Men's association football wing halves England men's youth international footballers English Football League players Bristol Rovers F.C. players Stockport County F.C. players Doncaster Rovers F.C. players Peterborough United F.C. players King's Lynn F.C. players March Town United F.C. players Yaxley F.C. players