On this day (26 September) in 1946 goalkeeper Alec Thurlow signed for Manchester City with the hope that the young ‘keeper would be a permanent replacement for Frank Swift. Sadly, Alec was forced to retire from the game in 1950 through tuberculosis. He went on to have major surgery with seven ribs removed. He also had a collapsed lung. Alec died in a sanatorium at the age of 34 in 1956. You can read more on Thurlow here:
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Gary James' Football Archive 