Frank Swift

Frank Swift

Personal information
Full name	Frank Victor Swift
Date of birth	(1913-12-26)26 December 1913
Place of birth	Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Date of death	6 February 1958(1958-02-06) (aged 44)
Place of death	Munich, West Germany
Height	6 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m)[1]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1933–1949	Manchester City	338	(0)
	→ (wartime league)	134	(0)
1939–1945	→ Aldershot (guest)	12	(0)
1939–1940	→ Liverpool (guest)	2	(0)
1941–1942	→ Charlton Athletic (guest)	1	(0)
1942–1943	→ Fulham (guest)	5	(0)
1942–1943	→ Reading (guest)	4	(0)
Total		338	(0)
International career
1939–1946	England (wartime)	14	(0)
1946–1949	England	19	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Frank Victor Swift (26 December 1913 – 6 February 1958) was an English footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for Manchester City and England. After starting his career with local clubs near his home town of Blackpool, in 1932 he was signed by First Division Manchester City, with whom he played his entire professional career.

Swift broke into the Manchester City first team in 1933, taking part in the club's run to the 1934 FA Cup Final, where the club triumphed 2–1 against Portsmouth. Three years later Swift won a League Championship medal, after playing in every match of Manchester City's championship-winning season. War denied Swift several years of playing in his prime, though during wartime he was chosen to represent his country in international matches. After the war he made his competitive international debut, playing 19 internationals between 1946 and 1949.

Swift retired in 1949, taking up a career in journalism as a football correspondent for the News of the World. He died, aged 44, in the Munich air disaster after reporting on Manchester United's European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade.