Edmund Peter Skirving Colquhoun (; 29 March 1945 – 16 April 2023) was a Scottish
footballer who played as a
centre back for
Sheffield United and
Scotland.
Known to players and fans as Eddie Colquhoun, he started his professional football career with
Bury in 1962. He made 81
league appearances and scored twice for them. He moved on to
West Bromwich Albion in 1967. During his time at the club West Brom won the
1967-68 FA Cup but Colquhoun missed the
final against
Everton through injury.
In 1968, Sheffield United had just been relegated to the
Second Division. Their manager at the time was
Arthur Rowley, and he signed Colquhoun from West Brom for £27,500.
Colquhoun made his debut for Sheffield United against
Huddersfield Town on 19 October 1968. Colquhoun was uncompromising, hard tackling and a leader in his play, and was instantly made team captain for his home debut at
Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane is a association football, football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United.
The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramal ...
against
Charlton Athletic on 26 October 1968, in a match United won 2–0. The following week, he scored his first Sheffield United goal against
Portsmouth at
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football ground in Portsmouth, England, which is the home of Portsmouth F.C. Fratton Park remains as the only home football ground in Portsmouth FC's entire history.
The early Fratton Park was designed by local architect A ...
on 2 November.
Colquhoun proved to be an excellent signing and was an integral part of the Sheffield United side which won promotion to the
First Division in
season 1970–71. He made a total of 416 appearances (363 league) with 21 goals (21 league) in all competitions for Sheffield United between 1968 and 1978.
A sign of his popularity was the chant containing his name;
We ain't got a barrel of money, But we've got Woodward and Currie, And with Eddie Colquhoun, Promotion is soon, United.
Colquhoun won eleven international
caps for
Scotland between 1967 and 1973. Colquhoun played in two games during a 1967 overseas tour that the
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the Sport governing body, governing body of association football, football in Scot ...
decided in October 2021 to reclassify as full internationals,
which increased his cap tally from nine to eleven.
His grandson
Ben Wiles
Benjamin Jack Wiles (born 17 April 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays for club Huddersfield Town. A versatile player, Wiles can be deployed as a left-back, box-to-box midfielder, attacking midfielder or right winger.
Early l ...
plays for
Rotherham United.
Colquhoun died on 16 April 2023, at the age of 78.
References
External links
Profile of Eddie Colquhoun
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colquhoun, Eddie
1945 births
2023 deaths
Scottish footballers
Sheffield United F.C. players
Bury F.C. players
West Bromwich Albion F.C. players
Scotland men's international footballers
Men's association football central defenders
Scottish expatriate footballers
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
Detroit Express players
People from Prestonpans
Washington Diplomats (NASL) players
Footballers from East Lothian
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
Scotland men's under-23 international footballers
Scottish expatriate sportspeople in the United States