HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Frank Victor Swift (26 December 1913 – 6 February 1958) 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 ...
, who played as a
goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...
for
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
and
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. After starting his career with
Fleetwood Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census. Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830 ...
, near his hometown of
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
, in 1932 he was signed by First Division
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
, with whom he played his entire professional career. Swift broke into the Manchester City first team in 1933, taking part in the club's run to the 1934 FA Cup Final, where the club triumphed 2–1 against
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
. Three years later Swift won a League Championship medal, after playing in every match of Manchester City's championship-winning season. War denied Swift several years of playing in his prime, though during wartime he was chosen to represent his country in international matches. After the war he made his competitive international debut, playing 19 internationals between 1946 and 1949. Swift retired in 1949, taking up a career in journalism as a football correspondent for the ''
News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national "Tabloid journalism#Red tops, red top" Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling ...
''. He died, aged 44, in the Munich air disaster after reporting on
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
's
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robi ...
match against
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...
.


Club career


Early career and 1930s successes

Born in
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
,
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
, Swift's first club was Blackpool Gas Works, where he worked as a coke-keeper. A spell at nearby
Fleetwood Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census. Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830 ...
followed, during which Swift attracted interest from a number of Football League clubs. Potential suitors included
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
(where Frank's elder brother Fred was the goalkeeper), Blackburn Rovers, Bradford City and Manchester City.James, ''The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame'', p. 68. The first to offer Swift a contract were Manchester City, who played in the First Division, the highest level of English football, for a transfer fee of £10. 10s 0d. Initially signed as an amateur in October 1932, eighteen-year-old Swift turned professional the following month, receiving a wage of ten shillings (50p) per week. The following December he was called up to the first team, having previously made only three reserve team appearances. At this time, goalkeeper was an unsettled position for Manchester City. Len Langford had made over 100 appearances and had appeared in the 1933 FA Cup Final, which City lost 3–0 to Everton. He missed the final game of the 1932–33 season and the opening match of 1933–34, but went on to play 18 consecutive League games before injury on 16 December 1933 ended his time as City's first choice. Langford's replacement for the following game was James Nicholls, but he endured a torrid time as Manchester City lost 8–0 to
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
. Consequently, Swift was given an opportunity for the Christmas double-header against Derby County. He conceded four goals in his debut at the Baseball Ground on 25 December, but in the return match the next day, his 20th birthday, he kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 win. After making his debut, Swift played in every first team match for more than four seasons, a run of more than 200 consecutive matches. His only absence prior to the suspension of football due to
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
was a single match in September 1938, where without Swift, Manchester City lost 6–1 at home to Millwall. Though Swift quickly established himself as a fixture in the Manchester City first team line-up, his performances were not all positive. In one of his early matches, against West Bromwich Albion, Swift conceded seven goals.Ward, ''The Manchester City Story'', p33 This led Swift to believe he would not be picked again, but with Langford unavailable due to a knee injury, Swift kept his place. Despite inconsistency, Manchester City were one of the stronger sides of the 1930s, and in Swift's first season the club reached the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
final for the second successive year. This period saw football match attendances reach an all-time high. During the cup run Swift played in front of 84,569 people for Stoke City's visit to
Maine Road Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest attenda ...
, a record attendance for an English club ground which still stands today. Hillsborough's attendance record of 72,841 (receipts £5,566) was also set by City during this Cup run. The semi-final, against cup favourites Aston Villa, ended in a 6–1 victory, a record for an FA Cup semi-final.James, ''Manchester City – The Complete Record'', p46 In the final, Manchester City faced
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
. Swift, the youngest and most inexperienced of the team, was nervous. As the playing surface was wet, he was unsure whether or not to wear gloves. Seeing Portsmouth goalkeeper Jock Gilfillan take to the field without gloves, he decided to follow suit. Portsmouth took the lead in the first half through a Septimus Rutherford shot. At half time Swift slumped in the dressing room, blaming himself and his decision not to wear gloves for the goal. Forward Fred Tilson attempted to improve Swift's spirits by telling him not to worry as he would "plonk two in next half".James, ''Manchester City – The Complete Record'', p. 117. Tilson duly scored two second half goals, the second with less than five minutes remaining. A tense finish followed, in which a photographer behind Swift's goal gave regular updates of the time remaining. At the final whistle, Swift was so overcome with emotion that he fainted. He recovered in time to receive his winners' medal from
George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...
, who sent a telegram enquiring about his condition on the following Monday. Manchester City started the 1936–37 season poorly, and were in the bottom half of the table until December. The club were better known for goalscoring than solid defence, but frequently both eluded City; at one point the club gained just one win in twelve matches.James, ''Manchester City – The Complete Record'', p. 350. However, Christmas proved to be a turning point for the club. Swift conceded five goals in consecutive matches on 19 and 25 December, but a Boxing Day win against
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
was the start of a long unbeaten run.Ward, ''The Manchester City Story'', p. 36. By April City were second in the table, and faced a fixture against
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, league leaders and the dominant club of the period. Peter Doherty inspired the team to a 2–0 win, and City reached the top of the table. The unbeaten run continued until the end of the season, and City secured their first league championship with a 4–1 win over
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an off ...
. City's third goal in this match came as the result of a long clearance by Swift, who was noted for the distance he could propel the ball. In contrast to the championship win, the 1937–38 season was one of disappointment. Manchester City achieved several high-scoring wins, including two 7–1 scorelines, but frequently stuttered to defeat.Ward, ''The Manchester City Story'', p. 38. On the final day of the season the club faced
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football. Huddersfield Town we ...
, and went into the match four places clear of the relegation zone. A 1–0 defeat, coupled with wins for all four of the teams immediately below meant reigning champions City were relegated to the Second Division despite scoring more goals than any other team.


Wartime and later career

During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Swift continued to play regularly for City, making 134 wartime league appearances. He also joined the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, and was one several professional footballers to enlist at the Army School of Physical Training as part of a scheme devised by the FA. The school was based near Aldershot F.C. leading Swift to become one of several notable players to guest for the club. Others included
Matt Busby Sir Alexander Matthew Busby (26 May 1909 – 20 January 1994) was a Scottish football player and manager, who managed Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–71 season. He was the first manager of an E ...
, Jimmy Hagan,
Joe Mercer Joseph Mercer (9 August 1914 – 9 August 1990) was an English footballer and manager. Mercer, who played as a defender for Everton and Arsenal in his footballing career, also went on to manage Aston Villa and Manchester City, and was the ...
, Stan Cullis,
Cliff Britton Clifford Samuel Britton (29 August 1909 – 1 December 1975) was an English football player and manager. Playing career After playing amateur football for a number of teams in the Bristol area, his professional playing career began when he sign ...
and Tommy Lawton. He also guested for several other clubs during the war including
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. He also played for several representative sides. On 30 October 1943 at Ninian Park, Swift played for a Western Command XI against a Cardiff City XI which featured Lawton and Mercer as guests. The game was a fundraiser for
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
. In April 1944 in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
he played for a British Army XI that included Jack Rowley, Leslie Compton, Cullis, Mercer, Hagan and Lawton and against a Royal Air Force XI that included Peter Doherty,
Stanley Matthews Sir Stanley Matthews (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English Association football, footballer who played as an Forward (association football)#Outside forward, outside right. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the Br ...
and Ted Drake. The Army won 4–0. On 9 September 1944 at
Windsor Park The National Football Stadium at Windsor Park (officially the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park for sponsorship reasons), or the National Football Stadium, also known as Windsor Park is a association football, football stadium in B ...
he played for a Combined Services XI in an 8–4 win against
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. This team was in effect a Great Britain XI and featured, among others, Busby, Matthews, Lawton, Mullen, Raich Carter and Stan Mortensen. In the same year he also represented an FA Services XI in games against
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. In May 1945 Swift also travelled with a British Army XI on a European tour. In the first season after the Second World War, Manchester City won the Second Division championship to secure their return to the top flight. In the process Swift kept a club record 17 clean sheets in 35 appearances, a mark which was not surpassed until nearly 40 years later, when Alex Williams broke the record by keeping 20 clean sheets in 1985. By 1949 Swift was 35 years old, but was still performing well enough to maintain his place in the England team. However, he decided that he wanted to retire while still capable of playing at the top level, rather than fading away. To this end he announced that he would retire at the end of the 1948–49 season. He made what he intended to be his last Manchester City appearance against
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football. Huddersfield Town we ...
on 7 May,James, ''The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame'', p74 which was followed by a parade in his honour organised by the Supporters' Club. However, just before the next season started, Swift's replacement Alec Thurlow fell ill with
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
, and Swift agreed to step in until City found a new goalkeeper.Ward, ''The Manchester City Story'', p41 Four further appearances took his career total to 338. Aware of attempts by other clubs to tempt Swift out of retirement, most notably by Manchester United, the Manchester City board continued to hold Swift's playing registration for several years.James, ''Manchester City – The Complete Record'', p160


After football

Following a period serving as a director of a local catering company, Swift took up a career in journalism, most notably with the ''
News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national "Tabloid journalism#Red tops, red top" Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling ...
''. He continued to be a regular visitor to Maine Road, and became the president of the Supporters' Club. A tribute to Swift at the Manchester United Museum Swift died, aged 44, in the Munich air disaster after reporting on
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
's
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robi ...
match against
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...
in
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
,
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
, for the ''
News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national "Tabloid journalism#Red tops, red top" Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling ...
''. On 6 February 1958, the flight back to Manchester carrying the Manchester United team and journalists made a refuelling stop at Munich-Riem Airport in poor weather. Two take-off attempts were abandoned due to engine problems, with the weather continuing to deteriorate. On the third attempt, slush on the runway prevented the aircraft from reaching the required speed for take-off. The plane veered off the runway and crashed into a house. One of 23 victims of the disaster, Swift was one of two journalists pulled alive from the wreckage but died on his way to hospital, as his seat belt had cut into his
aorta The aorta ( ; : aortas or aortae) is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the Ventricle (heart), left ventricle of the heart, branching upwards immediately after, and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits at ...
. Swift is widely regarded as one of the best English goalkeepers of all time along with Gordon Banks and
Peter Shilton Peter Leslie Shilton (born 18 September 1949) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. His 31-year career included spells at 11 clubs and he has the uni ...
and is frequently noted as one of the best players to have graced the English Football League. His successor in the
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
team was fellow club and goalkeeping legend, Bert Trautmann. Swift was named as one of the '' Football League 100 Legends'' in 1998 celebrating 100 seasons of league football in England, alongside other Manchester City players Billy Meredith, Colin Bell and Bert Trautmann. He has also been inducted into the Manchester City Hall of Fame.


International career

Swift's first international call-ups came in the Second World War; he made 14 wartime appearances for England. The first official England international after the war took place on 28 September 1946 against
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, and Swift retained his place to make his full debut in a 7–2 victory. Swift became a fixture in the England side of the late 1940s, playing 17 consecutive matches. This run included the famous 1948 victory against
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
in Turin, where he became the first goalkeeper since Alexander Morten in 1873 to captain the side, leading him to describe the match as the greatest day of his career.James, ''The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame'', p71 Later that year he lost his place to Ted Ditchburn, despite keeping a clean sheet in his previous appearance. He was restored to the line-up the following match, a British Home Championship decider against
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. After announcing his retirement from football, he made a farewell appearance against
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
in May 1949 to take his number of caps to 19, after which the goalkeeper's jersey was taken by Bert Williams.Clayton, ''Manchester City's Cult Heroes'', p19 Swift also represented
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
in a 1947 match against a " Rest of Europe" team, played to celebrate the return of the Home Nations to
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
.


Playing style

Raich Carter once said of Frank Swift that he looked so big in goal that as a forward it often seemed that trying to score against him was like "trying to put the ball into a matchbox". Swift's hands, which had a finger span of , were sufficiently large for him to easily pick up the ball with one hand, and gave rise to the nickname "Frying Pan Hands". Swift kicked with his left foot as the result of an injury to his right foot sustained during his youth. However, where possible he preferred throwing the ball to the wing over kicking it downfield. When asked for advice to give to young goalkeepers, Swift replied that he drew diagrams of each goal scored against him to see if he was at fault.Clayton, ''Manchester City's Cult Heroes'', p18


Honours


Club

*
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
: 1933–34 *
Football League First Division The Football League First Division was the top division of the Football League in England from 1888 until the end of the 1991–92 season, when its teams broke away to form the Premier League. From 1992 to 2004, the name First Division was g ...
: 1936–37 *
FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is Football in England, English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA ...
: 1937


England

* British Home Championship:
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
,
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...


Individual

* Football League 100 Legends: 1998 * English Football Hall of Fame: 2005 *Manchester City Hall of Fame * IFFHS England Men's all time Dream Team * IFFHS Best Goalkeepers of the Century Xxth


Outside football

Swift had three brothers, Cuthbert, Fred and Alf, and one sister, Alice. Fred, also a goalkeeper, played for
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
amongst others. The five grew up in a house a short walk from Blackpool's Bloomfield Road ground. During football's off-season, Frank and Alf ran boat trips off the Blackpool coast for tourists. On one such trip he met his future wife, Doris Potter. They married at Blackpool in 1935. They had a daughter, Jean, who was born in 1936, and a son, David, who was born in 1948. During wartime, Swift became a special constable with responsibility for traffic control. He was enrolled in the RAF, and travelled to France after the
Invasion of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 ( D-Day) with the ...
, but was stationed well behind the front line and did not see combat. This did not prevent risk to his life, however, as in 1944 a Dakota on which he was a passenger was involved in a near miss. Several members of Swift's family attended the February 2008
Manchester derby The Manchester derby refers to association football, football matches between Manchester City F.C., Manchester City and Manchester United F.C., Manchester United, first contested in 1881. City play at the City of Manchester Stadium in Bradford, ...
, played in the week of the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. The game, at Old Trafford, was won by Manchester City; the minute's silence was fully observed both sets of fans. Towards the end of the game, the City fans chanted "There's only one Frank Swift" several times, to rounds of applause from the United fans.


References


External links

*
England profile on www.englandfc.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Frank 1913 births 1958 deaths English men's footballers England men's international footballers England men's wartime international footballers English Football Hall of Fame inductees Men's association football goalkeepers Fleetwood Town F.C. players Manchester City F.C. players Liverpool F.C. wartime guest players Reading F.C. wartime guest players Aldershot F.C. wartime guest players Fulham F.C. wartime guest players Charlton Athletic F.C. wartime guest players English male journalists Footballers from Blackpool Footballers killed in the Munich air disaster English Football League players English Football League representative players British special constables Royal Air Force airmen Royal Air Force personnel of World War II