Trevor Swinburne made 280 appearances for Carlisle United between May 1977 and August 1983. He became first choice keeper immediately upon his arrival, working along side the legendary Alan Ross, and kept the number 1 shirt until he left 6 years later. Athletic, with excellent reactions, he was a key member of a period of relative success in the club’s history.
Born in Houghton le Spring on 20th June 1953, it was inevitable that Trevor would dream of becoming a goalkeeper. His father had played in goal for Newcastle and Trevor would accompany him on match days to soak up the atmosphere and to dream of glories to come. His own playing career was kick started when he became first choice keeper for Durham Schoolboys, a known breeding ground for future North East talent. Sunderland liked what they saw and signed a startled 15 year old Trevor on apprenticeship terms in 1968.
Swinburne worked hard at Roker Park but never got the breaks, and made only a handful of first team appearances during his nine years there. Bobby Moncur was Carlisle manager in 1977 and was the one to make the difficult decision that perhaps it was time for Alan Ross to take a back seat. He had worked with Swinburne in his Sunderland days and was delighted to hear that they were prepared to release him. In his first full season Swinburne made 32 appearances and settled immediately, despite the fact that the club had been newly relegated to Division Three. He missed the crucial period over Christmas due to injury but returned in time to help steer the team to a steady mid table finish. He kept a fantastic 17 clean sheets (well over half of the games he played in) and proved to be a creditable replacement for Brunton Park’s previous legendary Number 1.
He missed only one game of the following, very successful season, which saw the club finish 6th in Division Three. He enjoyed a wonderful personal spell in December and January where he conceded only 2 goals in 8 games. His reputation as a shot stopper was growing with every game and the defence had grown to trust in him completely, a necessity in any team that hopes to do well.
Swinburne played in every one of the 54 games in the 1979/80 season, yet again helping the team to a 6th spot finish. The emergence of young starlet Peter Beardsley, coupled with the experience of players like Swinburne, Hoolickin and Winstanley, suggested that better times were ahead for the Blues.
1980/81 witnessed a difficult period for the club. The team never really got out of first gear and Swinburne found his goal constantly under pressure. Facing the threat of relegation for much of the season, it remains notable that Trevor Swinburne often walked away with the man of the match award, standing strong as the last line of defence. 44 appearances in total in a season hampered by injury and some decent performances ensured that United would not face the drop.
Trevor played every game of the 1981/82 season; a season which saw United
miss out on the
Third Division Championship on goal difference to bitter rivals Burnley. In
truth, the 1-0 defeat at Turf Moor with only 4 games of the race remaining
turned the tide in the favour of the Clarets, but it was still a pity to lose
out after coming so close. Promotion, however, was a nice pill to take away the
taste. Swinburne became a huge crowd favourite during this campaign, as he
played his part in a results tally at Brunton Park that read: Played 23, Won 17,
Drawn 4, Lost 2.
The 1982/83 season was his last with the club and he yet again played in every game. Finding their way in a higher division the team struggled at times, but managed to play their way to a decent 14th spot finish. Trevor made his last appearance in the Carlisle goal in a 2-2 home draw against Barnsley on 14th May 1982, little realising as he was clapped off the pitch that it was to be his last game for the club. Of his 280 appearances, 92 had been clean sheets – not bad at all considering he was playing for a club who earned their keep in the lower reaches of league football.
He went on to play for Brentford for one and a half seasons, Leeds for a year, and he finally ended his career playing for Lincoln City in 1986 at the age of 33. He joined the Prison Service and is still a Prison Officer today.
Trevor Swinburne spent 6 very good years with United, a virtual ever present in the number one shirt. Arriving just as Alan Ross was retiring, his own contribution is often forgotten. This is a huge mistake to make. The position left by Ross was one that many felt would be impossible to fill. Trevor Swinburne proved us all wrong. A dependable, solid and reliable goalkeeper, Trevor takes a well earned place in the Number 1 series.
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