A former Wolves goalkeeper whose chance to shine was curtailed by the presence of the club’s legendary stopper Bert Williams has died aged 71.

Geoffrey Sidebottom went on to sign for West Midland neighbours Aston Villa, playing in the first-ever Football League Cup Final in 1961.

He died in Scunthorpe General Hospital on Monday after a short illness.

Born in Mapplewell, Yorkshire, Mr Sidebottom played his early football with the local village side and then with Wath Wanderers, a Wolves nursery club in Yorkshire, before coming south to the Molineux in 1954 and turning professional a few months later.

Despite being warned by his doctor not to play football because of a chest complaint, he developed quickly as an understudy to goalkeeping hero Bert Williams, making his debut at West Bromwich Albion in November 1958.

Although Wolves lost 2-1, he persevered and played 35 times for Wolves before joining Villa in 1961 where he was reserve to another ex-Wolves goalkeeper Nigel Sims. Mr Sidebottom went on to make 88 appearances for the Claret and Blues up to January 1965 when he was transferred to Scunthorpe United, later assisting the New York Royal Generals after a move to the USA during the 1968-9 season, when he also coached the Columbia University side.

He played for Brighton and Hove Albion from January 1969, retiring two years later.

Bert Williams, now 86, who lives in Shifnal, said today: “He was a good lad and a good player. I never heard him complain even though he couldn’t get into the first team as a regular. He came from Wath Wanderers which supplied the lifeblood to Wolves at that time.”