Albion mourn death of goalkeeping great Tony Godden | OneFootball

Albion are mourning former goalkeeper Tony Godden, who has died aged 70, according to ExpressAndStar.com.

Godden was first-choice in one of the club's great sides in the late 1970s. He made 329 appearances between 1977 and 1986 after arriving from non-league Ashford Town to follow John Osborne.

A fans' favourite, he set a club record of 228 consecutive appearances. He debuted as a 21-year-old at Tottenham's White Hart Lane in March 1977, the day Laurie Cunningham also made his bow in a 2-0 win. He kept another clean sheet on his Hawthorns debut, a 4-0 victory over Ipswich that featured a Bryan Robson hat-trick.

Albion finished seventh that season, their first back in the top flight, then recorded sixth, third and fourth in the next four campaigns. Godden was ever-present from 1977/78 under Ronnie Allen and Ron Atkinson, missing no game until a Tottenham meeting in November 1981.

He starred in the 5-3 triumph at Manchester United in December 1978 and pulled off saves to foil Mario Kempes as Valencia were beaten in the UEFA Cup. Later came loans at Luton, Walsall and Chelsea, before a permanent move to Stamford Bridge in 1986, where he saved two penalties in quick succession in a 1-0 win at Manchester United.

He later played for Birmingham City, Bury, Peterborough United and Wivenhoe Town, retiring in 1991. Coaching and management followed with King's Lynn and Bury Town, then goalkeeping roles at Rushden & Diamonds in 2006, where he twice acted as caretaker, and Brighton.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com