CLIVE GOODYEAR

Born: 15 January 1961

Came from: Luton Town   Went to: Wimbledon

First game: 25 August 1984   Last game: 02 May 1987

Appearances: 125 (116/9)   Goals: 7

Born in Lincoln, Goodyear began his career with local non-league club Lincoln United before stepping up to the Football League with Luton Town in 1979.

His first-team opportunities increased during Luton’s promotion-winning 1981-82 campaign under David Pleat, after which he became a regular during the club’s first two seasons back in the top flight. By the time Argyle manager Johnny Hore brought him to Home Park in 1984 in search of a new centre-half, Goodyear had made 90 appearances for Luton and scored four goals.

Goodyear made his Argyle debut at the beginning of the 1984-85 season and went on to enjoy the most settled spell of his playing career, appearing more often for the Pilgrims than for any of his other clubs. He was a regular for three seasons and played an important part in Dave Smith’s side that won promotion in 1985-86. He retained his place following the step up to the Second Division, before Nicky Law featured more regularly during the latter stages of the 1986-87 campaign.

That season saw Argyle challenge for the play-offs and briefly threaten to secure a first-ever place in the top flight. A late fade left them seventh, nevertheless still one of the club’s highest league finishes. Goodyear departed Argyle that summer after 125 appearances and seven goals, and reached the First Division himself by joining Wimbledon.

Although he never established himself as a regular at Plough Lane, making 26 appearances during three years with the Dons, Goodyear was part of one of the most celebrated matches in Wimbledon’s history. He started the 1988 FA Cup Final against Liverpool at Wembley, where Wimbledon recorded a famous 1-0 victory. Goodyear was adjudged to have fouled John Aldridge for Liverpool’s penalty, but Aldridge’s resultant spot-kick was saved by Dave Beasant - the first penalty save in an FA Cup Final - and Goodyear finished the afternoon with a winners’ medal.

After his FA Cup success, Goodyear suffered a serious knee injury. On leaving Wimbledon, he joined Brentford towards the end of the 1990-91 season and spent just three months with the club, making ten appearances before moving to Hong Kong.

There he signed for Ernest Borel alongside former Wimbledon team-mate Carlton Fairweather and another former Pilgrim, Raphael Meade. Previously known as Sea-Bee, the club had adopted the name of its sponsor, Swiss watch manufacturer Ernest Borel, and recruited a number of overseas players, including several from England.

Goodyear spent two of the club’s three seasons under the Ernest Borel name and helped them achieve their greatest success in 1991-92, when they won both the Viceroy Cup and Hong Kong FA Cup. Goodyear scored the winning goal in the FA Cup Final, adding another cup-winning moment to a career that had already included his Wembley triumph with Wimbledon. Those proved to be Ernest Borel’s only major trophies before the club’s eventual dissolution in 1994.

After returning to the UK, Goodyear studied physiotherapy and went back to Luton Town as the club’s physiotherapist in 1993. He later held the same position with Cardiff City and Chester City.

In June 2006, he established his own physiotherapy and sports injury clinic in Bletchley, near Milton Keynes. He also ran the London Marathon for charity in both 2008 and 2009. Goodyear retired from physiotherapy in 2018 and now enjoys life as a grandfather and playing golf in both the UK and Portugal.