Death of former Bradford Park Avenue forward Kevan (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Death of former Bradford Park Avenue forward Derek Kevan

5:18pm Sunday 6th January 2013 in Sport By Sports Desk

Former Bradford Park Avenue centre forward Derek Kevan has died aged 77.

Kevan arrived at Avenue from a Ripon YMCA team aged 16 in 1952.

He was the club’s only product to appear at the World Cup finals, playing in all four of England’s matches in Sweden in 1958 alongside such players as Don Howe, Billy Wright and Johnny Haines.

Kevan scored five goals on his debut for Avenue in the Northern Intermediate League against neighbours City at Valley Parade in February, 1952, and in just over four playing months he had stepped up to the first team.

He spent only one season at Avenue, scoring eight goals in 17 league and cup appearances, before following manager Vic Buckingham to West Bromwich Albion in July 1953, where he enjoyed his best days and won 14 caps.

After a brief spell with Chelsea, he set a Manchester City post-war scoring record with 30 goals in 1963-4 and went on to serve Crystal Palace, Peterborough, Luton, Stockport, Macclesfield and Boston United.