A tale of two young goalkeepers with tough baptisms at Derby County
The latest Rams nostalgia column, courtesy of Anton Rippon
Anton Rippon
Goalkeeper James Severn in action for Derby County against Hull City
A tale of two young goalkeepers: Derby County ran into trouble in February 2011. With second choice Saul Deeny already sidelined through injury, it wasn't the best time for regular keeper Stephen Bywater to strain a muscle.
That meant a first-team debut for 19-year-old rookie, James Severn, and you couldn't help but feel sorry for the lad when he misjudged the flight of a corner, a mistake that led to the only goal of the game with 19 minutes left to play against Hull City in the Championship.
Had Bywater stayed on, maybe the Rams would have grabbed a point. Or even three. Who knows? Given that Derby failed to score for the third time in as many games, any goalkeeping error was likely to prove costly.
In the meantime, Severn's emergency debut that evening brought to mind the even tougher baptism once faced by another young Derby goalkeeper.
Back in the 1940s, there were always high jinks at the Baseball Ground, with manager Stuart McMillan often the target of practical jokes.
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One day, Raich Carter strolled past his office and called through the open door: "They're going daft in that gym. Someone's going to get hurt."
McMillan ran down to the gym, where he found full-back Bert Mozley lying on the floor, apparently bleeding from a head wound. In fact it was a set-up; the "blood" was tomato ketchup. McMillan was less than pleased, but relieved none the less.
A week later, it was Mozley who burst into McMillan's office with the news that this time it was goalkeeper Bill Townsend who was hurt.
The manager took some persuading to go and see for himself. When he did, he found that Townsend had genuinely injured a thumb.
That threw the Derby camp into a panic. Three days later they were due to face a fifth-round FA Cup-tie at Ayresome Park.
The only fit goalkeeper eligible to play was 21-year-old Frank Payne, who had only eight reserve team appearances to his name.
So, on February 7, 1948, the day he should have been lining up against Sheffield Wednesday Reserves, Payne faced Middlesbrough – Wilf Mannion and all – in front of 43,000 spectators.
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The Cup match had certainly caught the imagination of the Derby public. One group of fans had even tried, unsuccessfully as it turned out, to charter an aircraft from Derby Airport at Burnaston.
On the eve of the big game, Payne, who had signed for the Rams from Ollerton Colliery only a few weeks earlier, had a sleepless night in the team's Teesside hotel.
Yet he needn't have worried. In front of him was a defence that included Cup winners Jack Howe, Leon Leuty and Chick Musson, as well as Tim Ward and that well-known practical joker, Bert Mozley.
Boro included Jimmy Gordon, who, 24 years later, would be the Rams trainer when they won the League championship under Brian Clough. It was Boro who piled on early pressure and hit the post. But thereafter, Payne was well protected. And when he was called into action, he responded magnificently, especially with a full-length save from a Mannion header.
Goals from Reg Harrison and Jack Stamps put Derby ahead and it was five minutes from time before Johnny Spuhler replied for Boro.
The Rams held out, though, and Payne was backslapped off the field by his teammates.
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Yet it was his only senior appearance for the Rams, who signed the veteran Blackpool goalkeeper, Jock Wallace, to see them through to the semi-finals, where they lost to Manchester United.
On the day that Derby were battling out a 1-1 draw at Loftus Road in the sixth round, Payne was playing for the Rams' third team at South Normanton Miners' Welfare.
Later that year, he signed for Hull City but never appeared in the Tigers' first team. Eventually, he had just five League games for Lincoln City before ending up with a succession of minor clubs.
Like Frank Payne, young James Severn would remember his debut at the deep end. And like, Payne, sadly his career never took off, largely due to some ill fortune. After the Rams – that game against Hull was his only senior appearance, Severn joined League One club Scunthorpe United – he also had loan spells at Tamworth, Eastwood Town and Alfreton Town – in 2012.
Alas, he suffered a torrid time with The Iron. After spending two seasons almost entirely on the bench, when he was finally handed his first-team chance he tore a thigh muscle not once, but twice.
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Worse still was to follow. On his first game back Severn was called off the bench after first choice Sam Slocombe broke his arm at home to Bristol City. By the end of the game Severn was also on the way to hospital after breaking his arm. Complications followed which ensured the England youth international missed the remainder of the season. He had a short spell with Worcester City before moving to Scottish Premiership club Ross County in October 2015. He signed as an amateur as cover during a goalkeeping injury crisis at Dingwall but when everyone was fit again, he was released in February 2016 without making a senior appearance.
Manager Jim McIntyre said: "James has been fantastic for us.
"He came in and did us a real turn when we were short due to injury and I cannot speak highly enough about his attitude. He's a good goalkeeper as well, but obviously we cannot keep three."
Frank Payne and James Severn – two young Rams goalkeepers from widely differing eras, but each with a similar story. Football isn't always about the glory.
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