Letheran: Glanville (Glan)

1973-1977 (Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Briton Ferry, Llanelli: 01-05-1956

Debut: v Hibernian (a) (substitute): 07-11-1973

6’1 ½” 12st 4lb (1977)

A Welsh Youth International, he joined Leeds in May 1973 from his hometown team of Llanelli. Letheran became an instant Leeds hero after a match winning debut in an UEFA Cup-tie. With Gary Sprake having recently been transferred to Birmingham City, first choice David Harvey injured, and David Stewart being ineligible due to UEFA regulations, Leeds went to Hibernian after a goalless first leg with reserve John Shaw as first choice and youth-team goalkeeper Letheran on the bench. Shaw was injured, sustaining two broken fingers just before half-time, and Letheran came on to keep a clean sheet until full-time and then survived a penalty shoot-out as Leeds squeezed through 5-4. Hibernian Captain Pat Stanton hit the post with his side's first spot kick, then the rest of the penalty-takers were successful with Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray, Mick Bates and Allan Clarke making it 4-4 to leave Billy Bremner to keep his nerve to slot home the decider. Letheran's only start for United came on 19th April 1975 when he was in goal for the 2-1 home win in the League over Ipswich Town, but he was famously the unused goalkeeping substitute to David Stewart in the European Cup Final against Bayern Munich in Paris in the same season. He won two Welsh Under-Twenty-One caps, both while on loan with Scunthorpe United, making his debut on 15th December 1976 in a 0-0 draw with England at Molineux, Wolverhampton, and then playing against Scotland in a 2-3 defeat at Easter Road, Edinburgh, on 9th February 1977. He also won one cap at Under-Twenty-Three level, while at Leeds, against Scotland on 4th February 1976 in a 2-3 defeat at Wrexham. He also had ten caps at Youth level, but he could not get a regular place at Elland Road and, so he was loaned out to Scunthorpe United in August 1976. He played his first game for the Iron against Mansfield Town in a 0-2 defeat at Field Mill in the League Cup First Round, First Leg, on 14th August 1976, and then made his League debut a week later in a 0-1 home defeat by Rochdale and he played his final game for the Iron in a 1-0 win at home to Southend United on 5th March 1977. He kept eight clean sheets in his twenty-seven League games for Scunthorpe, in a very long loan of almost seven months which was the longest loan signing at the time. He later was loaned to Notts County, in September 1977, but did not play a first team game and with little chance of breaking into the Leeds first team he was transferred to Chesterfield in December 1977 for £10,000. He made sixty-three League appearances for the Spirites, in his two myears there, before John Toshack signed him for Swansea City for £50,000 in September 1979. At the Vetch Field, he took over from Geoff Crudgington, and played in goal during the meteoric rise by the Swans from the Fourth Division to the First Division. He only played twenty-one League games for Swansea before being displaced by his old adversary, David Stewart. While at Chesterfield, he was called up eleven times for the Welsh senior team and once more while at Swansea City. However, he never received a cap, as on each occasion he was an unused substitute as understudy to Dai Davies. He subsequently played Non-League football for Oxford City, Scarborough, and Bangor City. He appeared in the 1984 FA Challenge Trophy Final at Wembley for Bangor City against Northwich Victoria, which ended in a 1-1 draw, but Bangor lost the replay 2-1 at the Victoria Ground, Stoke. He retired from the professional ranks with Bangor in 1985 but finished his career as a part-timer at Llanelli in the Welsh League. After his playing career was over, he qualified as a coach and also obtained a goalkeeping coaching licence. He was Swansea City goalkeeping coach and also scouted for them. He coached in the Caribbean and was goalkeeping coach with the Welsh schoolboys. He also was goalkeeping coach at Exeter City, Leicester City and Chester. Letheran recommended Matthew Jones to Leeds United, and was Welsh scout for Leeds United and later Southampton. He was a successful Cricketer as a medium pace bowler and middle order batsman in South Wales. His son Kyle was a goalkeeper too, and was capped by Wales at Under-Twenty-One level. He also played with Swansea City, and Newport County, Chesterfield and Barnsley.