Look who I’ve got in the front of my taxi: 10 more footballers who became cabbies
They do say in the music industry that second album is always trickier than the debut release, and the same could be said in sourcing the next crop of 10 footballers who became cabbies.
Back in May, TaxiPoint gave you 10 former footballers who swapped the roar of the crowd for the roar of an engine (unless you are driving a TXE). Incredibly, six of the first batch of ten players had an association with Chelsea, and that trend continues as we work down the list.
So here are another ten ex-footballers who gave up the working man's ballet to push a cab.
Gary Johnson 59 year old Gary Johnson started his career at Chelsea as a forward, making 19 league appearances between 1977 and 1981, scoring 9 goals in his time at the blues. He went on to play for Brentford before a car crash effectively finished his career, although he did have a resurgence at Aldershot, as well as playing in South Africa before hanging up his boot to become a London cabbie.
Johnson made a career total of 154 league appearances in total, scoring 42 goals. Alan Dickens 54 year old Alan Dickens was dubbed the natural successor to Trevor Brooking in his time at West Ham. The England Under-21 international made 192 league appearances for The Hammers before moving to... Surprise surprise, Chelsea. The midfielder made 48 appearances for the west London club before ending up at Brentford and Colchester, as well as a number of other non-league clubs. He also had a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion. Dickens made a total of 290 league appearances, scoring 29 goals. After retirement from football, Dicken became a London cabbie. Alex Cropley Alex Cropley, 68, was an Aldershot born Scottish international, making 2 appearances for the tartan army. Cropley, a midfielder, started his career at Hibernian, making 118 appearances and scoring 27 goals, before leaving "Turnbull's Tornadoes" to sign for Arsenal in 1974, after rejecting Chelsea. He made just 30 appearances for the Gunners before being sold to Aston Villa, where he picked up a league cup winners medal. Cropley also played for Newcastle on Loan and Portsmouth. He now plies his trade as a cabbie in Edinburgh. Cropley scored 41 goals in 228 league appearances. David Price 64 year old David Price was a stalwart at Arsenal who played alongside Alex Cropley. He made 126 appearances for the north London club, winning a FA Cup winners medal in 1979, he also supplied the pass, setting up Brian Talbot's goal in the final against Manchester United. Price also got 2 runners-up medals in 1978 and 1980 after Arsenal lost to both Ipswich and West Ham. He was sold to Crystal Palace, which saw Peter Nicholas moving to Arsenal from Palace as part of the deal. He eventually finished his career at Leyton Orient after being unable to settle at Crystal Palace. Price, who now drives a minicab, made a career total of 169 league appearances, scoring 19 goals. Colin Cramb The much travelled Colin Cramb was your archetypal journeyman player. He appeared on the books of 16 different clubs, including Southampton, Hamilton, Hearts, Bristol City and Dutch side, Fortuna Sittard. 45 year old Cramb made a career total of 448 appearances, finding the net 125 times playing up front. Cramb is the only player to have played in all four divisions in both England and Scotland. Alongside a coaching career, Cramb also drives a taxi in his local area. Neil Shipperley Neil Shipperley is yet another "Knowledge Boy" who has been on Chelsea's books. The 44 year old made 446 league appearances as an old-fashioned, uncompromising centre-forward, scoring 119 goals in his career. Shipperley started his career as youth player at Chelsea, making 37 first team appearances before moving to Southampton, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Barnsley, Wimbledon, Sheffield United and Brentford. He also did a second stint at Palace as well as a 6 game loan spell at Watford. Johnny Key Johnny Key was a former Fulham, Coventry and Leyton Orient Winger.
Key, now 81, made 201 appearances, scoring 36 goals. Whilst suffering from an injury in 1968, Key decided to do The Knowledge. After passing in a year and a day, he hung up his boots and became a full time London taxi driver, retiring in 2002. Terry Oldfield Born in Bristol in 1939, Terry Oldfield started his career as a youth at Bristol City. He moved up the road to Bristol Rovers, making 132 appearances for "The Pirates" before moving to Wrexham, where he made a further 40 appearances. Generally deployed as a wing half and occasional centre-forward, Oldfield's goal tally sat at around 1 in 10 with just 17 goals from 172 appearances. After retiring from football due to a knee injury at the age of 28, Oldfield eventually became a taxi driver via a number of different jobs. Sadly, Oldfield passed away in 2018, aged 78. Davie Hagen Former Rangers, Hearts and Falkirk midfielder Davie Hagen became a cabbie after retiring from football in 2007. Hagen made a career total of 333 appearances in a 6 club career, which also took in Livingston, Clyde and Peterhead, scoring 29 goals. Hagen scored the fastest goal of the 2001/02 season, finding the net after just 16 seconds for Clyde against Raith Rovers. It was reported in July 2018 that Hagen is now suffering from motor-neurone disease. Fred Callaghan 74 year old Fred Callaghan was a Fulham left-back, who was described as "tough-tackling defender”. Callaghan was a one-team-man, making 295 appearances for Fulham and scoring 9 goals. His career lasted from 1964 to 1974 before a back injury forced him to retire.
He subsequently went on to do The Knowledge and become a taxi driver. Coincidentally, Callaghan, along with Johnny Key, Dave Metchick and Brian (Pat) O' Connell, all played for Fulham around the same time period and all went on to do The Knowledge around the same time. Image Source: Geograph
Image Author: Richard Humphrey
