# Alan Sproates > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alan_Sproates > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alan_Sproates.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Sproates > Source revision: 1290657229 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|English footballer}} {{use British English|date=December 2018}} {{use dmy dates|date=December 2018}} {{infobox football biography | name = Alan Sproates | image = | caption = | fullname = | position = [Midfielder](/source/Midfielder) | height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1944|6|30|df=y}} | birth_place = [Hetton-le-Hole](/source/Hetton-le-Hole), England | death_date = {{death date and age|2015|2|5|1944|6|30|df=y}} | death_place = [California](/source/California), United States | youthyears1 = 19??–1961 | youthclubs1 = [Sunderland](/source/Sunderland_A.F.C.) | years1 = 1961–1963 | clubs1 = [Sunderland](/source/Sunderland_A.F.C.) | caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1963–1965 | clubs2 = [Swindon Town](/source/Swindon_Town_F.C.) | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1965–1974 | clubs3 = [Darlington](/source/Darlington_F.C.) | caps3 = 315 | goals3 = 17 | years4 = 1973 | clubs4 = → [Miami Toros](/source/Miami_Toros) (loan) | caps4 = 9 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 1974–1975 | clubs5 = [Scunthorpe United](/source/Scunthorpe_United_F.C.) | caps5 = 24 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 1975 | clubs6 = USC Lion (Adelaide) | caps6 = | goals6 = | years7 = 1978 | clubs7 = [Los Angeles Skyhawks](/source/Los_Angeles_Skyhawks) | caps7 = | goals7 = | years8 = 1980–1981 | clubs8 = [San Francisco Fog](/source/San_Francisco_Fog_(MISL)) | caps8 = | goals8 = }} '''Alan Sproates''' (30 June 1944 – 5 February 2015) was an English professional [footballer](/source/association_football) who played as a [midfielder](/source/midfielder). He made nearly 350 appearances in the [Football League](/source/English_Football_League), including more than 300 for [Darlington](/source/Darlington_F.C.), and also played in Australia and the United States. ==Career== Sproates was born in 1944 in [Hetton-le-Hole](/source/Hetton-le-Hole), which was then in [County Durham](/source/County_Durham). He began his football career with [Sunderland](/source/Sunderland_A.F.C.), where he turned professional in 1961, but made no first-team appearances before he joined [Swindon Town](/source/Swindon_Town_F.C.) in 1963.{{Hugman|18625|accessdate=20 December 2018}} After two seasons in which he played only five first-team games,{{cite web |url=http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/Person.asp?PersonID=SPROATEA |title=Alan Sproates |website=Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk |publisher=Richard Banyard |accessdate=20 December 2018}} Sproates moved to [Darlington](/source/Darlington_F.C.) in part-exchange for [Jimmy Lawton](/source/Jimmy_Lawton).{{cite web |url=http://www.darlington-fc.net/page/FormerPlayers/0,,10339~1013162,00.html |title=Alan Sproates – 1965–1974 |publisher=Darlington F.C. |date=18 May 2007 |accessdate=12 July 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118201038/http://www.darlington-fc.net/page/FormerPlayers/0,,10339~1013162,00.html |archivedate=18 November 2008}} He remained at the club until 1974, making 315 league appearances and helping the club reach runners-up spot in the [Fourth Division](/source/Football_League_Fourth_Division) and [promotion](/source/promotion_and_relegation) to the [Third Division](/source/Football_League_Third_Division) in the [1965–66 season](/source/1965%E2%80%9366_Football_League). He spent the summer of 1973 playing in the [North American Soccer League](/source/North_American_Soccer_League_(1968-84)) for [Miami Toros](/source/Miami_Toros).{{cite web |url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/S/Sproates.Alan.htm |title=Alan Sproates |website=NASL Jerseys |publisher=Dave Morrison |accessdate=20 December 2018}} After a year with [Scunthorpe United](/source/Scunthorpe_United_F.C.),{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player9/alansproates.html |title=Alan Sproates |website=UK A–Z Transfers |publisher=Neil Brown |accessdate=20 December 2018}} Sproates was signed by Ukrainian Sports Club Lion in [Adelaide](/source/Adelaide) playing in the South Australian First Division. He was so impressive that he was voted the Best and Fairest player in the league winning the John Martin Medal.{{cite web |url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/SA/All-BnF.html |title=South Australia's Best and Fairest Player of the Year Awards |first=Peter |last=Georgaras |website=OzFootball |accessdate=24 August 2016}} Soon after he moved to the United States, where he coached football and played in the [American Soccer League](/source/American_Soccer_League_(1933-83)) for [Los Angeles Skyhawks](/source/Los_Angeles_Skyhawks){{cite news |url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093655/2/index.htm |title=A Roundup of the Week May 1–7 |website=Sports Illustrated |publisher=CNN |date=15 May 1978 |accessdate=12 July 2009 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130102080659/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093655/2/index.htm |archivedate=2 January 2013}} and for the [San Francisco Fog](/source/San_Francisco_Fog_(soccer)) during the [1980–81 Major Indoor Soccer League season](/source/1980%E2%80%9381_Major_Indoor_Soccer_League_season). Sproates and his wife, Bonnie, lived in [San Rafael](/source/San_Rafael%2C_California) and [San Anselmo](/source/San_Anselmo%2C_California), in [Marin County, California](/source/Marin_County%2C_California).{{cite news |url=https://www.marinij.com/2015/03/01/in-san-rafael-friends-and-family-honor-late-soccer-pro-sproates/ |title=In San Rafael, friends and family honor late soccer pro Sproates |first=Janis |last=Mara |newspaper=Marin Independent Journal |date=1 March 2015 |accessdate=20 December 2018}}{{cite news |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/7002312.california-fans-set-to-help-quakers/ |title=California fans set to help Quakers |newspaper=The Northern Echo |location=Darlington |date=28 January 2004 |accessdate=20 December 2018}} He died in California in 2015 at the age of 70. ==Honours== '''Darlington''' * [Fourth Division](/source/Football_League_Fourth_Division) runners-up: [1965–66](/source/1965%E2%80%9366_Football_League) ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Sproates, Alan}} Category:1944 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Footballers from Hetton-le-Hole Category:People from San Anselmo, California Category:Soccer players from Marin County, California Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players Category:Swindon Town F.C. players Category:Darlington F.C. players Category:Miami Toros players Category:Scunthorpe United F.C. players Category:Los Angeles Skyhawks players Category:San Francisco Fog (MISL) players Category:English Football League players Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players Category:American Soccer League (1933–1983) players Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players Category:English expatriate men's footballers Category:English expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Australia Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia Category:20th-century English sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alan Sproates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Sproates) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Sproates?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.