Nigel Sims

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Seasons

Age*

Division

Appearances

Starts

Substitute

Unused

Goals

From

Played Under

Eric Houghton |
Joe Mercer |

First Squad Appearance

Monday, 19 March 1956

Debut Appearance

Monday, 19 March 1956

Burnley (h), Division One

First Goal

Did not score

Final Appearance

Saturday, 18 January 1964

Chelsea (a), Division One

Final Squad Appearance

Saturday, 18 January 1964

Nigel Sims

Player #457 for Aston Villa, David Nigel Sims, known as Nigel Sims, played as a goalkeeper for the club.

Nigel played for Villa between 1955-56 and 1963-64 making 309 appearances.

Nigel was born in Coton-in-the-Elms, Burton-on-Trent, just 25 miles from Villa Park, on 9 August 1931 and made his debut appearance for Villa on Monday, 19 March 1956 aged 24.

Villa had signed Nigel from Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in March 1956 and was the 54th custodian of the Villa goal in League & Cup football.

In his own words Nigel recalled “Villa were struggling at the wrong end of the table but it was a chance I felt I had to take as I had been at Wolves seven years.”

Unsurprisingly with an attitude like that Nigel became a big favourite with the Villa crowd

During his time with Villa Nigel won the 1957 FA Cup and was an ever present in the victorious 1956-57 FA Cup campaign including the 2-1 triumph over Manchester United in the final held at Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of 99,225 when Peter McParland scored twice to win Villa the Cup for a record seventh time.

As Nigel recollected “We were the underdogs but started really well against them. However, the game went off the boil after Ray Wood got injured. When Tommy Taylor scored to bring them back to 2-1 it was just sheer panic right up to the end.”

Nigel also helped Villa reach the FA Cup Semi Final in 1958-59 but over his 47 appearances for the club that season he also had the misfortune to experience relegation to the Second Division.

After 250 games as Villa boss Eric Houghton left his post after 20 games of the 1958-59 season with Villa in an already precarious league position and was replaced by Joe Mercer, and he was someone who Nigel just didn’t get on with.

“I still bear physical scars from some injuries that he made me play with. I didn’t agree with his tactics and sure enough we went down to Division Two playing full backs such as Stan Lynn at centre forward.”

Nigel however proved a key player in Villa’s Division Two Championship winning season the following year and went on to help Villa consolidate top ten Division One finishes in the early 60’s as well as reaching another FA Cup Semi Finals and winning a League Cup Runners Up medal in 1962-63.

Nigel won his second trophy with the club when he played 9 games in Villa’s victorious run to the inaugural League Cup title in 1960-61 and helped Villa vanquish Rotherham United over the two legged final held in 1961-62 when he kept goal in the first leg.

Across his 309 games for Villa, Nigel conceded 463 goals at a ratio of 1.50 goals per game whilst keeping 75 clean sheets. Nigel recollected:

“Without being brash, I know for the period 1956-1963 I was as good as anyone, if not the best. I knew I wouldn’t play for England as no player who left Wolves ever got selected (Arthur Oakley of Wolves was the Chairman of Selectors). All I got in terms of representative honours was two Football League games against Ireland in 1957 and 1960. Frank Swift, possibly one of the top three goalkeepers of all time, was constantly encouraging me through his regular comments in the News of the World.”

Nigel played his final game for Villa on Saturday, 18 January 1964 aged 32 before moving on to Peterborough United in September 1964.

Nigel had played his Villa career under managers Eric Houghton and Joe Mercer.

Nigel passed away in Gorseinon, Swansea on 6 January 2018 aged 86.