While Beverley is only a small town in the East Riding of Yorkshire, it has had many notable people grow up and go on to do great things.
One of the things that the people of Beverley are very proud of is the large number of sports people who have come from Beverley and managed to perform well on the world stage.
In this article, we are going to look at some of the remarkable sports people from Beverley. This includes famous footballers, Olympic swimmers and even an ice hockey player that is still living out his career today. Keep reading if you’d like to find out more about all of these remarkable people and what they have achieved.
Peter Goy – Footballer
If you are a football fan, you might have already heard of Peter John Goy who was born in 1938 and went on to become a professional footballer. Goy was a great goalkeeper and turned professional in 1955. After starting out on the youth team, he played his first professional match for Arsenal against Leeds United in 1959. Other teams that Peter Goy appeared on included Watford, Huddersfield Town and Southend United. Born in Beverley, this player has had a great career as a footballer.
Gerry Ingram – Footballer
Striker Gerry Ingram has played football in both England and the USA during his career and has managed to score around 200 goals in total. During his professional league career, Gerry Ingram managed to make almost 500 appearances which shows just how impressive his skills were. He played for Blackpool, the Las Vegas Quicksilvers, Preston North End, Chicago Sting and many other teams. Ingram is now 71 years old and so has retired from football, but he will still be known for his impact that he made on all of these teams.
Dave Phillips – Ice Hockey Player
Another remarkable person to come from Beverley is Dave Phillips, who is a British professional ice hockey defenceman. If you keep up with the Ice Hockey League and the live score updates posted by sites such as Stakers, you’ll know that Dave Phillips is currently playing for the Sheffield Steelers after a long career on many different teams. This player has been a strong presence in the Belfast Giants, Chicago Wolves and the Manchester Storm and he has definitely made a name for himself.
Katie O’Brien – Tennis Player
Former professional tennis player Katie Jill O’Brien comes from Beverley and has in the past been the British No. 1. During the 2007 Wimbledon competition, she managed to make it to the second round and managed to do the same in the Australian Open in 2010. Aged 25, Katie O’Brien announced her retirement, but this came after a long career of impressive tennis.
Paul Robinson – Footballer
Beverley has had its fair share of football players and Paul Robinson, born in October 1979 is another impressive sportsperson who makes our list. Robinson is a goalkeeper who has played in the Premier League for teams such as Blackburn Rovers, Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United and Burnley. This player has been playing professionally since he was 18 years old and has had a very successful career. In 2010, Paul Robinson retired from professional football.
Lizzie Simmonds – Swimmer
It is impossible to talk about remarkable people from Beverley without mentioning Lizzie Simmonds who is an Olympic swimmer. Simmonds was born in 1991 and went on to represent Great Britain in the Olympics, the European Championships and the FINA World Aquatics Championships. She also represented England in the Commonwealth Games, all of these adding up to make her quite a remarkable person. In the 2012 Summer Olympics, Lizzie managed to come in fourth place in her race which is also quite impressive.
Guy Smith – Racing Driver
Guy Smith is another remarkable sportsperson from Beverley who has shown his skills as a British professional racing driver. His most notable moment was when he won the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 2011 American Le Mans Series. This made him quite a big name in his sport and he has been behind the wheel of many expensive and impressive vehicles. This goes to show that Beverley can produce much more than great footballers with swimmers and racing drivers also making a name for themselves.
Neil Thompson – Footballer
Finally, you might have heard of Neil Thompson who was born in Beverley in 1963. Thompson managed to go on to become a professional footballer for Scarborough, Ipswich Town and Barnsley along with other football teams during his career. While he has now stopped playing football, he is making a name for himself managing the Sheffield Wednesday U-23 squad. This player has gone from strength to strength and we expect him to be involved in football for a long time.
What Does This Mean For The Future?
When you take some time to look at the impressive list of sports people who have come from our little town of Beverley, it shows the potential. There are many great sports teams already in Beverley with players improving their skills before they make it to the world stage and compete in competitions like the Olympics or Wimbledon. You’ll find that all of these players came from Beverley originally, regardless of whether they have moved on and found new homes or not.
We expect that there will be many more rising stars from the local sports teams gaining recognition in no time at all. Look out for all of the local football players, rugby stars and swimmers who might be making a splash in the sporting world.
Final Verdict
Beverley might only be a small town, but it has produced a lot of remarkable people. Of course, there are more notable people than those who have been involved in sports, but the sports category tends to be where Beverley shines. Keep an eye on all of these sports people and those who might be rising up the rankings to become remarkable themselves.
