{{Short description|English footballer (1937–2021)}} {{use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Barrie Aitchison | image = | fullname = Barrie George Aitchison<ref name="coludata">{{cite web|title=Colchester United – Player profile |url=http://www.coludata.co.uk/player.asp?pid=254 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120727232707/http://www.coludata.co.uk/player.asp?pid=254 |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 July 2012 |publisher=Coludata.co.uk |accessdate=14 March 2013 }}</ref> |birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1937|11|15}}<ref name="coludata"/> | birth_place = Colchester, England<ref name="coludata"/> |death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2021|11|23|1937|11|15}} | height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}<ref name="WWCU">{{cite book |last1=Whitehead |first1=Jeff |last2=Drury |first2=Kevin |title=The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years |year=2008 |publisher=Breedon Books |location=Derby |isbn=978-1-85983-629-3 |page=10}}</ref> | position = Winger | youthyears1 = 1953–1954 |youthclubs1 = Colchester United | years1 = |clubs1 = Colchester Casuals |caps1 = 0 |goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1954–1964 |clubs2 = Tottenham Hotspur |caps2 = 0 |goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1964–1966 |clubs3 = Colchester United |caps3 = 50 |goals3 = 6 | years4 = 1966–1967 |clubs4 = Cambridge City |caps4 = |goals4 = | years5 = |clubs45 = Bury Town |caps5 = |goals5 = | totalcaps = 50 | totalgoals = 6 }} '''Barrie George Aitchison''' (15 November 1937 – 23 November 2021) was an English footballer who played as a winger in the Football League for Colchester United, where he came through the youth ranks before joining Tottenham Hotspur, but failed to make a first-team appearance. His older brother Peter also played professionally for Colchester United.
==Career==
Born in Colchester, Aitchison followed in his brother Peter's footsteps by joining Colchester United from Border League football in 1953, but was considered too slight and was released in 1954, joining Tottenham Hotspur. He spent ten years with the club, mostly in the reserves and other minor sides, during which time they won the Football Combination twice. A fee of £750 brought Aitchison back to Layer Road in 1964 having failed to make a first-team breakthrough whilst at Tottenham.<ref name="WWCU"/>
Aitchison made his Colchester debut on 22 August 1964 in a 1–0 defeat at home to Carlisle United.<ref name="debut">{{cite web |title=Colchester United – Match details – Colchester Utd 0–1 Carlisle United |url=http://coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=1038 |publisher=Coludata.co.uk |accessdate=14 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624211214/http://www.coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=1038 |archivedate=24 June 2009 }}</ref> He scored his first professional goal on 2 September of the same year in a 1–1 League Cup draw with Torquay United,<ref name="goal1">{{cite web|title=Colchester United – Match details – Colchester Utd 1–1 Torquay United |url=http://coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=1042 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130714225247/http://coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=1042 |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 July 2013 |publisher=Coludata.co.uk |accessdate=14 July 2013 }}</ref> going on to score six goals in the Football League in 50 games for the club.<ref name="NB">{{cite web |title=COLCHESTER UNITED:1950/51–1989/90 & 1992/93–2011/12 |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/colchester/colchester.html |publisher=Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database |accessdate=14 March 2013 }}</ref> In September 1965, during a 2–0 home victory over Rochdale,<ref name="injury">{{cite web|title=Colchester United – Match details – Colchester Utd 2–0 Rochdale |url=http://coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=1099 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130714225246/http://coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=1099 |url-status=dead |archivedate=14 July 2013 |publisher=Coludata.co.uk |accessdate=14 July 2013 }}</ref> Aitchison suffered an injury that would ultimately lead to his retirement from the full-time game,<ref name="WWCU"/> as he went on to play his final Football League and final professional game on 28 May 1966, a 2–1 away defeat to Newport County.<ref name="final">{{cite web|title=Colchester United – Match details – Newport County 2–1 Colchester Utd |url=http://coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=1141 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130714225159/http://coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=1141 |url-status=dead |archivedate=14 July 2013 |publisher=Coludata.co.uk |accessdate=14 July 2013 }}</ref>
After declining Colchester's offer of a part-time contract for the 1966–67 season, Aitchison moved to non-league Cambridge City before transferring to Bury Town a season later.<ref name="WWCU"/>
==Later life==
As a result of his footballing and injury suffered while with Colchester United, Aitchison underwent a cartilage operation in 1970. Following his retirement from the professional game, he worked for Alston's in Colchester, a furniture upholsterers.<ref name="WWCU"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aitchison, Barrie}} Category:1937 births Category:2021 deaths Category:Footballers from Colchester Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football wingers Category:Colchester United F.C. players Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players Category:Cambridge City F.C. players Category:Bury Town F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:20th-century English sportsmen