Sue Buckett

Sue Buckett
Personal information
Birth name Susan Buckett
Date of birth (1944-01-01) 1 January 1944 (age 80)
Place of birth Wokingham, England
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.62 m)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1966–1986 Southampton Women's F.C.
1986–1999 Red Star Southampton
International career
1972–1980 England 29 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sue Buckett (born 1 January 1944) is a former England women's international footballer.[1][2] She represented England at senior international level and spent most of her career at Southampton Women's F.C. Buckett won the Women's FA Cup eight times between 1971 and 1981 and was the first ever goalkeeper to save a penalty in the competition's final.

Club career

Buckett won the WFA Cup eight times with Southampton and was captain in six of their winning finals. Her first winners medal came in 1971 when they beat Stewarton Thistle 4-1 at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. Buckett has the distinction of being the first ever goalkeeper to save a penalty in a WFA Cup final which she achieved in 1975, when she saved a penalty taken by Eileen Foreman of Warminster. Southampton won the game 4-2. Her eighth and final success in the competition came in 1981 when Southampton defeated reigning champions St Helens at Knowsley Road. She reached the final again in 1992 with Red Star Southampton, but they lost 4-0 to Doncaster Belles in the final at Prenton Park. Buckett was also an unused substitute in the 1999 final when the renamed Southampton Saints were beaten by Arsenal.[3][4]

International career

Sue Buckett made her first appearance for England in their first ever official match. England played against Scotland on 18 November 1972 in Greenock, winning 3–2.[5] In November 2022, Buckett was recognized by The Football Association as one of the England national team's legacy players, and as the 1st women's player to be capped by England.[6]

Honours

Southampton

References

  1. ^ Gray, James (July 12, 2022). "FA should honour female England players who were not given their caps due to 'penny-pinching'". inews.co.uk.
  2. ^ "Legacy numbers introduced for England women's team". BBC Sport.
  3. ^ Slegg Chris, Gregory Patricia (2021). A History of the Women's FA Cup Final. thehistorypress. pp. 33–64 69–73 121–123 148–151. ISBN 9780750996594.
  4. ^ "Sue Buckett". Womens Football Archive. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  5. ^ O'Neill, Jen (12 June 2019). "40 years ago today: Scotland 2-3 England". She Kicks. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  6. ^ "ENGLAND PLAYER LEGACY AND RESULTS ARCHIVE" (Press release). The Football Association. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.