Keith Finch

Keith Finch
Personal information
Full nameKeith George Finch[1]
Date of birth6 May 1982[2]
Place of birthEasington, County Durham, England
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2]
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Youth career
–Darlington
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1999–2002Darlington12(0)
2002Bishop Auckland
2002–2004Seaham Red Star
2004–2005Gateshead16(0)
2005–2006Sunderland Nissan
2006–2008Seaham Red Star
2008–2009Spennymoor Town
2009–Shildon
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Keith George Finch (born 6 May 1982) is an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played in the Football League for Darlington and in non-league football in the north-east of England for a variety of clubs. He joined Northern League club Shildon in 2009, and as of December 2014, was their goalkeeping coach as well as occasional player.

Life and career

Finch was born in Easington, County Durham.[2] He began his fooball career under the YTS trainee with Darlington. He made an unexpected debut for the club at the age of 17, in the first round FA Cup-tie against Southport in October 1999, as a half-time replacement for injured goalkeeper Andy Collett. The Sunday Mirror reported that Finch produced "three super saves" to help preserve Darlington's one-goal lead.[3] He had to wait more than two years for his first appearance in the Football League, again as substitute for Collett, this time making "a string of fine saves" as Darlington beat Lincoln City 2–1 in the Third Division.[4][5] He had a run of games in the first team while Collett was returning to fitness,[6] but when Collett suffered a collapsed lung at the beginning of March, Finch was left as the only fit goalkeeper at the club.[7] The last of Finch's 12 league appearances was in a defeat to York City on 16 March.[5] Later that month, Darlington signed Chris Porter on a pay-as-you-play basis, though with owner George Reynolds unwilling to pay, a fans' website raised money to cover Porter's wages.[8] Finch was one of several players to be released when their contracts expired at the end of the season.[9]

He signed for Northern Premier League club Bishop Auckland,[10] but his time there was interrupted by injury and he was released in early November.[11] Finch then moved into the Northern League with Seaham Red Star,[12] returning to the Northern Premier with Gateshead in October 2004.[13] After five months and 23 appearances, 16 in the league, he left.[14] He spent time with Northern League Sunderland Nissan,[15] before returning to Seaham for two seasons, in the first of which he was player of the year as the club were promoted as runners-up to the Northern League Premier Division.[16] His next port of call was Spennymoor Town: no sooner had he saved a penalty and scored his own in the shootout that took his team through to the last 16 of the 2008–09 FA Vase, than he was transfer-listed and sold to Shildon after Spennymoor received an unexpected bill.[17] He helped the club reach the semi-final of the 2012–13 FA Vase, in which they lost to Tunbridge Wells,[18] and as of December 2014, was goalkeeping coach as well as occasional player.[19]

In 2008, 2010 and 2012, Finch was in goal as Hetton Lyons won the FA Sunday Cup.[1][20] He has also been involved with youth football club Hetton Juniors as coach and chairman.[21]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Hetton Lyons Cricket Club 2–1 Oyster Martyrs". Durham & District Sunday League. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "2001/02: English Football League Division Three: Darlington". FootballSquads.com. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "FA Cup: Gabbi rescues lucky Quakers". Sunday Mirror (London). 31 October 1999 – via Newsbank.
    "Games played by Keith Finch in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Darlington 2–1 Lincoln". BBC Sport. 28 January 2002. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Games played by Keith Finch in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Darlington boss delighted with keeper Finch". The Northern Echo (Middlesbrough). 15 February 2002. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "No respite for crisis-hit Quakers". The Northern Echo (Middlesbrough). 8 March 2002. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    "Darlington and Hartlepool updates". Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough). 13 March 2002. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Darlington supporters pledge to help keeper". The Northern Echo (Middlesbrough). 8 March 2002. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Experience is key to success". The Northern Echo (Middlesbrough). 13 August 2002. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  10. ↑ "Nelson football – disappointing week!". Burnley Express. 6 September 2002. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "Honour wants winners". The Northern Echo (Middlesbrough). 5 October 2002. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    "Unibond League: Caffrey handed keeper's gloves". The Northern Echo (Middlesbrough). 9 November 2002. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "The Albany Northern League Today: Hat-trick hero ensures Town are in good shape". The Northern Echo (Middlesbrough). 13 January 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  13. ↑ "Two new signings". Gateshead F.C. 30 October 2004. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  14. ↑ "Three new signings". Gateshead F.C. 20 March 2005. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    "Gateshead F.C. Season 2004/05". Gateshead FC Stats 1977–2014. Alan Percival. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  15. ↑ "Billingham Syn 1, Sunderland Nissan 0". Evening Chronicle (Newcastle upon Tyne). 18 December 2005. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  16. ↑ "Bishops ready to make their Northern League return". The Northern Echo (Middlesbrough). 11 August 2006. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    "League ponder play-offs poser". The Northern Echo (Darlington). 25 May 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  17. ↑ Simpson, Ray (26 January 2009). "Finch is the hero for Moors". The Northern Echo (Darlington). Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    Simpson, Ray (21 February 2009). "Non-League preview". The Northern Echo (Darlington). Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    "Non-League: Consett suffering with injuries". The Northern Echo (Darlington). 28 February 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  18. ↑ Simpson, Ray (31 March 2013). "Agony for Shildon as they miss out on Wembley trip". The Northern Echo (Darlington). Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  19. ↑ "Keith Finch". Shildon A.F.C. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
    "Keith Finch". Shildon A.F.C. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  20. ↑ Stoddart, Craig (27 April 2008). "Hetton reclaim Sunday cup". The Northern Echo (Darlington). Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    Simpson, Ray (26 April 2010). "Rae brace seals third triumph". The Northern Echo (Darlington). Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  21. ↑ Havery, Gavin (6 January 2013). "House builder supports youth football". The Northern Echo (Darlington). Retrieved 12 December 2014.
    Unwin, Bruce (4 November 2013). "Hetton Juniors gives opponents the blues in new kit". The Northern Echo (Darlington). Retrieved 12 December 2014.