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  Floreat Prescotia The Website for former pupils of the Prescot Grammar and Prescot Schools © The Prescotian 2000 - 2010  
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Alan A'Court (1934 - 2009)

This evening [Tuesday, 15th. December, 2009] Liverpool Football Club announced the death of former player Alan A'Court who sadly died yesterday at the age of 75.

Alan was born in Rainhill on 30th September 1934 and was educated at Prescot Grammar School which was rather unusual for a professional footballer at that time. He quickly showed that he had a flair for playing football and became a schoolboy star. He represented his country when they played against the Amateur Cup side Pegasus.

Although Alan had an interest in Rugby he decided that football was the game for him and at the age of eighteen turned down an approach from Bolton Wanderers and signed for Liverpool in 1952 under the management of Don Welsh. This was the start of a brilliant career at the club where in total he made 381 appearances scoring 63 goals.

Alan had caught the attention of the England set up and made his first appearance for the U23 on 5th November 1957. This was to be the first of 5 caps for his national team. He was picked for the 1958 World Cup squad in Gothenburg, Sweden and played against the Soviet Union (Russia), Brazil and Austria.

  
Just read the news that Alan has passed away. A player from a bygone era when celebrity counted for little and skill and hard work were everything. God speed, Alan from a fellow Prescotian [Ste Greenall]
I went to school in Rainhill and PGS with Alan and before he became the star, we played soccer around the village. RIP. [Ken Ashton]
Alan was at the school at the same time as myself, not a particularly "academic" pupil (and neither was I in those days!) but a very good footballer. As a matter of interest somehow his name got changed from Acourt to A'Court (maybe the press thought it looked more "professional"!) He was two years ahead of myself at Prescot Grammar as I am 73 being born January 1936. I can remember him well playing for the school team but I only saw him play a couple of times for Liverpool as my allegiance was (and still is ) with the blue boys across the park! [Edward Robinson]
I remember Alan A' Court though (I think) he left PGS before I got there. I saw him at Liverpool a couple of times - possibly in the old Division 2. He was a very honest and talented professional player without any of the ego of many current players. He was an old-fashioned left-winger - fast, direct and the ideal partner for a goal scoring centre forward. A nice guy and I'm sorry to hear of his death. [John Hardy]
[Very sorry to hear the news of Alan's death. He was a charming, unassuming individual and a credit to the school. I have a number of photos of him amongst my photos in your set. He wrote a biography entitled "My life in football" Just before joining Liverpool he played for Prescot Celtic and I remember the Club being given a full set of football kit by Liverpool when he joined them. He was advised against joining Liverpool by the Headmaster Briggs who was reflecting the poor wages and short career for even the most successful of players. His career was short and his playing days ended at Tranmere. Then he spent some years as a coach at Norwich then Crewe Alexander and then Stoke. [Gordon Makinson]
I well remember Alan A'Court from my days at school. Whilst he was one of the "seniors" in my day, he was the idol of all of those who played football, and an inspiration to us younger boys. I was at PGS from 1950 to 1958. For my sins old Spencer Briggs appointed me Head Boy in my two last years there. Whilst I am sending this message, there was another boy of about my age, who idolised Alan and was inspired by him, his name was Jimmy Jones. I think that Jimmy went to play for one of the Liverpool junior sides. Does anybody know what became of him? [Stuart Robinson]
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