Lewis Caunce (20 April 1911 - 1978) was an English professional

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

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 ...

of the 1930s. Born in

Earlestown Earlestown ( ) is a town contiguous with Newton-le-Willows in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside, England. At the 2011 Census the town had a population of 10,830. The towns named is derived from one of its early settlers, Hard ...

, he joined

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...

from

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 ...

in 1932, where he made 18 appearances for the club. He left to join

Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, they have p ...

in 1933, spending two seasons with the Cheshire League club before returning to the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

with

Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional association football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2025–26 EFL League Two, 2025–26 season, the team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the Eng ...

in 1935. On Boxing Day 1935, Caunce played in goal for Oldham in their 4–13 defeat against

Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ...

, a Football League record for most goals scored in a game. Caunce notably saved a penalty during the game to prevent Tranmere centre forward Bunny Bell from scoring 10 goals, and Caunce's teammate Tommy Williamson remarked years later that despite the scoreline, the keeper had "played a blinder". Caunce played 134 league games for Oldham before his football career was ended prematurely by the outbreak of the Second World War.

References

1911 births 1978 deaths English men's footballers Sportspeople from Newton-le-Willows Footballers from Merseyside Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players Rochdale A.F.C. players Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players Wigan Athletic F.C. players Men's association football goalkeepers 20th-century English sportsmen {{England-footy-goalkeeper-1910s-stub