Anniversary
Vic Keeble
Born: 25 June 1930, Colchester, England
Clubs: Colchester United, Newcastle United, West Ham United
Forward Vic Keeble spent just two-and-a-half seasons with West Ham United, but his prolific goalscoring and influential role in the Club's 1957/58 Division Two title success mean he will always be thought of fondly at the Boleyn Ground.
Keeble had started his career at hometown club Colchester United, where he played under future West Ham boss Ted Fenton. The young Essex man scored 23 goals in 46 league games for the U's, adding to the dozens he had netted in the Southern League.
In 1952, Keeble moved to the North East and Newcastle United for £15,000. After initially biding his time behind the great Jackie Milburn, the young forward lined-up alongside the Magpies legend regularly from the start of the 1954/55 season. Over the next two years, he scored regularly, while also using his outstanding heading ability to provide flick-ons and knock-downs for his team-mates.
After playing in the 1955 FA Cup final win over Manchester City and scoring 56 goals in just 104 league games, Keeble joined Fenton's West Ham in 1957. In his first season in east London, he scored 23 goals in 32 appearances as the Hammers won the Division Two title.
A further 20 goals followed in 1958/59 as West Ham finished sixth in Division One, but a back injury suffered playing against Fulham in October 1959 effectively ended his career at the highest level. After retiring in 1960, Keeble became a football reporter before later taking up administrative roles at Colchester and Chelmsford City.