Swinburne: Trevor

1985-1986 (Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: East Rainton, Co Durham: 20-06-1953

Debut v Grimsby Town (h): 19-10-1985

6’0” 14st 7lb (1985)

Swinburne played for Lambton and Hetton Boys and East Rainton Youths before joining Sunderland as an apprentice in July 1968, turning professional in June 1970. As a fifteen year-old apprentice he was a member of the Sunderland Youth team that overcame Leeds United in the 1968-69 Youth Cup fourth round. In that tournament they had wins at Middlesbrough and Hartlepool in the early rounds, and after they could only draw 0-0 with Leeds at Roker, it seemed like their chance had gone, however, a week later at Elland Road we won 1-0 and went on to win the trophy, with further victories over Millwall, Bournemouth, in the semi-final and West Bromwich Albion in the two-legged final. West Bromwich Albion won the first game at the Hawthorns by 3-0, which left Sunderland with a mountain to climb but they triumphed in style by winning the return at Roker Park 6-0. He did not make his Sunderland debut until a few days before the 1973 Cup Final with Leeds. He travelled to London with the Cup Final squad, because of a fixture pile up resulting from their Cup run. On the Monday before the final, 30th April 1973, and on a wet and windy night he kept a cleansheet until five minutes from time when Leyton Orient equalised in a 1-1 draw at Brisbane Road, in front of a 9,157 crowd, just fourteen miles from Wembley. His second game came in front of a crowd of 45,976 on his home debut on 18th January 1975 against runaway Division Two leaders, Manchester United at Roker did see him keep a cleansheet in a 0-0 draw. He made only ten League and one F.A. Cup appearances for Sunderland in seven seasons and was on loan to Sheffield United in December 1976, but did not make the first team. A victim of Jim Montgomery's consistency he could see no future at Roker Park and so moved to Carlisle United, who had just suffered relegation to Division Three, in May 1977 and soon became an automatic choice, indeed, after playing thirty-two League games in his first season in six seasons at Brunton Park he was ever-present on three occasions and missed just twenty-four League games. Unsurprisingly, he was an ever-present in the team that won promotion in 1982, missing the championship on goal difference to Burnley. He played his final game for Carlisle in a 2-2 home draw against Barnsley on 14th May 1983, although he did not realise at the time as he was clapped off the pitch that it was to be his last game for the club, but the 1982/83 season was his last with the club and he yet again he played in every game. Carlisle struggled at times in the higher division, but managed to play their way to a decent fourteenth spot finish. Of his two hundred and eighty appearances, ninety-two had been clean sheets, an excellent performance considering the clubs usual position in the lower reaches of league football. He made two hundred and forty-eight League appearances at Brunton Park before going to Brentford in August 1983 on a free transfer. He was also well thought of at Griffin Park and made the goalkeeper's jersey his own until a spell of glandular fever struck him down midway through the 1984-85 season. He played forty-five League for the Bees. Leeds signed him from Brentford in June 1985 when he was already a veteran, but was seen as cover for Mervyn Day. When Ronnie Sinclair arrived on loan in late February 1986, he became surplus to requirements. He had already had a loan period with Doncaster Rovers in September 1985 where he played four League games, and he joined Lincoln City, who were struggling on the Third Division, on a free transfer, making his debut for them in a 0-2 defeat by Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on 25th February 1986 and he was unable to ensure they stayed up as a poor finish to the season saw them in twenty-first place, three points from safety, and they slipped into the Fourth Division. 1986-87 saw Lincoln loose their Football League status and, after playing his final game for the Imps in a 0-1 loss at Southend on 14th February 1987 he retired from the game in May 1987, at the age of almost thirty-four. While at Sincil Bank he had started thirty-four League games and six more in the Cups. He remained in Lincoln and joined the Prison Service, becoming a prison officer and rose to Prison Governor. His father, Tom, played in goal for Newcastle United before and after the Second World War and won an England war-time cap when he was in goal for England at St James' Park on 2nd December 1939 when they defeated Scotland 2-1. His elder brother, Alan, was also on Newcastle’s books and made four appearances for Oldham Athletic.