Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "durban-united"
Seasiders' striker who went on to score more than 100 League goals
Christopher Robin Anthony (Kit) Napier 1943-2019
Kit Napier was born in Dunblane on 26 September 1943 and played for Arniston Thistle, a Scottish junior club as an inside forward; he later became a centre forward. He was signed by Blackpool as an amateur of considerable promise in October 1959 following a recommendation from a Scottish headmaster to Blackpool’s trainer Johnny Lynas.
He was said to have shown much promise in his early games with the Blackpool Youth side {I once saw him score seven goals in a 10-0 victory for Blackpool Youth} and he was also a more than useful golfer, having tied for a trophy at West Linton Golf Club before joining Blackpool.
Blackpool signed him as a full time professional on 30 October 1960 when his weekly wage was to be £7 per week with an extra £13 if and when playing in the first team and an extra £2 when playing in the second team. He earned that £2 when making his debut for the Central League side in a 3-1 defeat by Aston Villa reserves on 27 August 1960; it was his only Central League game in the 1960/61 season.
He was a regular goalscorer, scoring twice as Blackpool defeated the Lancastrian Brigade 4-1 in the North West Regional Challenge Cup Final on 20 April 1961 to win his first trophy with the club.
His weekly wage for the 1961/62 season was adjusted to £9 with an extra £5 if and when playing in the first team and an extra £2 when playing in the reserve side. He was still playing in the Youth side and in a Youth Cup game against Liverpool on 13 December 1961 he was 'the best forward' and 'over the 90 minutes he was tricky deceptive but not always direct'. He scored Blackpool’s goal in a 2-1 defeat.
Still only 18 he made his first team debut in the League Cup third round against Workington on 5 November 1961. Blackpool won 1 0 and he had 'a promising match' when 'with not a lot of support he showed some splendid touches, [and a] willingness to stand up for himself', he even had 'a surprise shot which smacked against the crossbar with Wright hopelessly beaten'. But he was mainly confined to the Central League side and he impressed in a 4-3 defeat by Everton reserves on 11 November 1961 and with the first team centre forward position in doubt, it was thought that he might be given a chance of a League debut. In the event Ray Charnley recovered from injury and he was not required. So, the League Cup tie was his only first team game of the 1961/62 season but he did play in 17 Central League games, scoring just one goal, that in a 3-3 draw with Chesterfield reserves on 9 December 1961.
His play had developed considerably and he was fully expected to get his chance in League football in the 1962/63 season and, consequently, his weekly wage for the season was £13 plus an extra £10 if and when playing in the first team and an extra £2 when playing in the reserve side.
He missed another opportunity for a League debut when he was pencilled in for his debut in place of Ray Charnley against Liverpool on 15 December 1962 but at the last minute manager Ronnie Suart felt that the going would suit Charnley better so Napier did not play; Blackpool lost the game 2-1.
However, the following week he was selected for his League debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 22 December 1962 but fog descended and the game was abandoned {I was at the game and it lasted about seven minutes as the fog descended from an almost cloudless blue sky]. Then came the big freeze and Blackpool only played one game, against Tottenham Hotspur on 19 January 1963, until they restarted their fixtures with a match against Manchester United on 23 February 1963. And that was the game that Napier finally made his First Division debut at centre forward in the 1 1 draw at Manchester United.
He kept his place for the following game, a 3-2 win over Leyton Orient on 2 March 1963 when he was considered 'not yet a First Division centre forward' and he was left out of the side after this game. He returned to Central League action in which, over the 1962/63 season, he was the top scorer with 15 goals from 33 games, in addition to his two League games.
He was transferred to Preston North End for a fee of £700 on 24 June 1963 after his Blackpool career had encompassed two League games, one League Cup tie and 51 Central League games.
He made just one first team League appearance, for Preston North End at outside right against Charlton Athletic, and he was allowed to leave after just one season at the club. His appearances in the reserve side were deemed 'more spirited than talented'.
Preston transferred him to Third Division Workington in July 1964 and he went on to play 58 League games and scored 28 goals for the club in a 16-month stay. He had one of his best days at the club when he scored twice as Workington eliminated First Division Blackburn Rovers 5-1 from the 1964/65 League Cup and he also scored the equalizer as his club earned a deserved replay against eventual winners Chelsea in the quarter-final. His 13 goals for Workington in his final season ensured a transfer to First Division Newcastle United for a £20,000 fee on 5 November 1965. And rather ironically, he made his first team debut the day after signing, in a 2 0 defeat of Blackpool at St James’s Park on 6 November 1965. He went on to play only eight League games for Newcastle United and, perhaps surprisingly, failed to score a goal.
Newcastle transferred him to Third Division Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee of £8,500 in September 1966 and he had his most successful spell in League football as in 249 League games, plus seven substitute appearances, he scored 84 goals for the club. He was a fans' favourite at Brighton, being the club's top goalscorer in five of his six seasons, equalling the club post-war record of 28 goals in a season in 1967/68 and scoring 19 goals in Brighton's 1971/72 promotion season. In all games he scored 99 goals in 291 appearances for Brighton and is the club's third all-time leading goalscorer, behind Glenn Murray and Tommy Cook. It was said of him at Brighton, 'He was a ball-playing attacker, skilful with both feet, and with tremendous talent for goalscoring. At the Goldstone, Napier’s class and quick-witted play endeared him to the crowds.'
In August 1972 he was on the move once more when he was transferred for a fee of £15,000 to Blackburn Rovers, where he played 63 League and Cup games, made one substitute appearance and scored 13 goals. He left Ewood Park after the 1973/74 season.
His League career saw him make 379 appearances and score 119 goals.
After leaving Blackburn Rovers he moved to South Africa where he played for Durban United and after retirement from professional football he had a career in the motor trade. He continued to play golf and appeared in many pro-am tournaments in South Africa.
He died on 31 March 2019 at his home in South Africa after a long illness.
Kit Napier was born in Dunblane on 26 September 1943 and played for Arniston Thistle, a Scottish junior club as an inside forward; he later became a centre forward. He was signed by Blackpool as an amateur of considerable promise in October 1959 following a recommendation from a Scottish headmaster to Blackpool’s trainer Johnny Lynas.
He was said to have shown much promise in his early games with the Blackpool Youth side {I once saw him score seven goals in a 10-0 victory for Blackpool Youth} and he was also a more than useful golfer, having tied for a trophy at West Linton Golf Club before joining Blackpool.
Blackpool signed him as a full time professional on 30 October 1960 when his weekly wage was to be £7 per week with an extra £13 if and when playing in the first team and an extra £2 when playing in the second team. He earned that £2 when making his debut for the Central League side in a 3-1 defeat by Aston Villa reserves on 27 August 1960; it was his only Central League game in the 1960/61 season.
He was a regular goalscorer, scoring twice as Blackpool defeated the Lancastrian Brigade 4-1 in the North West Regional Challenge Cup Final on 20 April 1961 to win his first trophy with the club.
His weekly wage for the 1961/62 season was adjusted to £9 with an extra £5 if and when playing in the first team and an extra £2 when playing in the reserve side. He was still playing in the Youth side and in a Youth Cup game against Liverpool on 13 December 1961 he was 'the best forward' and 'over the 90 minutes he was tricky deceptive but not always direct'. He scored Blackpool’s goal in a 2-1 defeat.
Still only 18 he made his first team debut in the League Cup third round against Workington on 5 November 1961. Blackpool won 1 0 and he had 'a promising match' when 'with not a lot of support he showed some splendid touches, [and a] willingness to stand up for himself', he even had 'a surprise shot which smacked against the crossbar with Wright hopelessly beaten'. But he was mainly confined to the Central League side and he impressed in a 4-3 defeat by Everton reserves on 11 November 1961 and with the first team centre forward position in doubt, it was thought that he might be given a chance of a League debut. In the event Ray Charnley recovered from injury and he was not required. So, the League Cup tie was his only first team game of the 1961/62 season but he did play in 17 Central League games, scoring just one goal, that in a 3-3 draw with Chesterfield reserves on 9 December 1961.
His play had developed considerably and he was fully expected to get his chance in League football in the 1962/63 season and, consequently, his weekly wage for the season was £13 plus an extra £10 if and when playing in the first team and an extra £2 when playing in the reserve side.
He missed another opportunity for a League debut when he was pencilled in for his debut in place of Ray Charnley against Liverpool on 15 December 1962 but at the last minute manager Ronnie Suart felt that the going would suit Charnley better so Napier did not play; Blackpool lost the game 2-1.
However, the following week he was selected for his League debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 22 December 1962 but fog descended and the game was abandoned {I was at the game and it lasted about seven minutes as the fog descended from an almost cloudless blue sky]. Then came the big freeze and Blackpool only played one game, against Tottenham Hotspur on 19 January 1963, until they restarted their fixtures with a match against Manchester United on 23 February 1963. And that was the game that Napier finally made his First Division debut at centre forward in the 1 1 draw at Manchester United.
He kept his place for the following game, a 3-2 win over Leyton Orient on 2 March 1963 when he was considered 'not yet a First Division centre forward' and he was left out of the side after this game. He returned to Central League action in which, over the 1962/63 season, he was the top scorer with 15 goals from 33 games, in addition to his two League games.
He was transferred to Preston North End for a fee of £700 on 24 June 1963 after his Blackpool career had encompassed two League games, one League Cup tie and 51 Central League games.
He made just one first team League appearance, for Preston North End at outside right against Charlton Athletic, and he was allowed to leave after just one season at the club. His appearances in the reserve side were deemed 'more spirited than talented'.
Preston transferred him to Third Division Workington in July 1964 and he went on to play 58 League games and scored 28 goals for the club in a 16-month stay. He had one of his best days at the club when he scored twice as Workington eliminated First Division Blackburn Rovers 5-1 from the 1964/65 League Cup and he also scored the equalizer as his club earned a deserved replay against eventual winners Chelsea in the quarter-final. His 13 goals for Workington in his final season ensured a transfer to First Division Newcastle United for a £20,000 fee on 5 November 1965. And rather ironically, he made his first team debut the day after signing, in a 2 0 defeat of Blackpool at St James’s Park on 6 November 1965. He went on to play only eight League games for Newcastle United and, perhaps surprisingly, failed to score a goal.
Newcastle transferred him to Third Division Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee of £8,500 in September 1966 and he had his most successful spell in League football as in 249 League games, plus seven substitute appearances, he scored 84 goals for the club. He was a fans' favourite at Brighton, being the club's top goalscorer in five of his six seasons, equalling the club post-war record of 28 goals in a season in 1967/68 and scoring 19 goals in Brighton's 1971/72 promotion season. In all games he scored 99 goals in 291 appearances for Brighton and is the club's third all-time leading goalscorer, behind Glenn Murray and Tommy Cook. It was said of him at Brighton, 'He was a ball-playing attacker, skilful with both feet, and with tremendous talent for goalscoring. At the Goldstone, Napier’s class and quick-witted play endeared him to the crowds.'
In August 1972 he was on the move once more when he was transferred for a fee of £15,000 to Blackburn Rovers, where he played 63 League and Cup games, made one substitute appearance and scored 13 goals. He left Ewood Park after the 1973/74 season.
His League career saw him make 379 appearances and score 119 goals.
After leaving Blackburn Rovers he moved to South Africa where he played for Durban United and after retirement from professional football he had a career in the motor trade. He continued to play golf and appeared in many pro-am tournaments in South Africa.
He died on 31 March 2019 at his home in South Africa after a long illness.
