YORK City’s academy have received a £1,000 boost thanks to the family of a former goalkeeper.

Joe Berridge played between the sticks for the club’s reserve team in the 1920s when the Minstermen were based at Fulfordgate and played matches in the Midland and Yorkshire Leagues.

His son John – a lifetime City supporter – has now bequeathed the four-figured sum to the club, as part of his will after he passed away at the age of 83 following a short battle against cancer.

The donation from the Supporters’ Trust life member will be welcomed by Bootham Crescent officials with the £260,000 funding that the club received as a Football League club and during their first season back in non-League football having been halved this term.

During 2018/19, meanwhile, that financial assistance will be withdrawn completely, leaving the club to cover the estimated £390,000 cost that the national Elite Player Performance Plan programme (EPPP) believes is needed annually to run academies at professional clubs.

In the past, the future of the academy came under threat during eight years outside of the Football League when chairman Jason McGill, with the assistance of apprentices’ parents and academy coaches, covered the expenses needed to safeguard it.

McGill remains committed to youth development at Bootham Crescent and his own son Gabby recent sale to Middlesbrough also brought some welcome cash into the coffers.

The academy’s success in recent years is also evident in Jamie Hopcutt playing a starring role during Swedish top-flight team Ostersund’s recent two-legged victory over Turkish giant Galatasaray with the Scandinavian side also managed by one-time City under-13s coach Graham Potter.

Ben Godfrey, now 19, recently signed a new four-year deal at Norwich, having left for the Canaries last year.

He could also cross swords in the Championship this season with another City graduate David Stockdale, who joined Birmingham in the summer after helping get Brighton promoted into the Premier League, having previously been selected for England squads under former national coach Fabio Capello.

Under-14 player Cole Kiernan was also sold to Sunderland for £40,000 in 2015/16 and the big north-east clubs are believed to be monitoring the progress of current youth-team striker Ryan Edmondson.

As a staunch believer in encouraging local young talent and to leave a legacy for his father, John Berridge wanted his donation to go towards a specific cause and City’s youth-team coach Steve Torpey has suggested that the money would pay for some more footballs and head-tennis equipment.

Explaining the reason behind the gesture, John’s son Martin said: “My father delighted in seeing young players come through the ranks and play for their home-town club, so my brothers and I were somewhat anxious that the money be used for its specified purpose. During the last six to eight weeks, I’ve been liaising with Steve Torpey and he’s been extremely helpful suggesting equipment which the money could buy to help the trainees hone their skills.

“In the era of the great Leeds United team of the early 1970s, my father had three football mad sons on his hands, in myself and by borthers Kevin and Graham, who were longing for the excitement and glory of Elland Road, but we hadn’t a hope! He always felt you should support your local team and made sure the family connection with the club was maintained.

“In time, we had our regular spot by the corner flag on the Shippo, where the terracing meets the Popular Stand and we’re hoping we can make the cheque presentation there at a game next month.”

On his death in 1962, Joe Berridge was described in the then Yorkshire Evening Press as “one of the best local goalkeepers over a long period.”

He went to Poppleton Road school, who had a great reputation for nurturing football talent, including England schoolboy internationals Dave Halford, Reg Stockill and brothers Tom and George Maskill.

As well as turning out for the newly-formed City club, he also kept goal for the Old Boys with Acomb in the Yorkshire League and Malton Town.

He was a carpenter by trade and was involved with the construction of Betty’s, whilst also offering his services on a voluntary basis to help rebuild Poppleton Road Working Men’s Club after it had been bombed during the War, with grandson Martin smiling: “He was good with his hands!”

John Berridge also became a goalkeeper, but achieved greater success in other sports.

He was a member of the Manor Secondary team that completed the York Schools’ league and cup double 70 years ago in 1947.

As a young adult, he also went on to win York & District Table-Tennis League awards and became a noted local angler.

In the mid-1950s, he became a qualified referee, whilst on national services in Khartoum and, at the age of 21, took charge of games between the RAF representative XI against host teams in Sudan and other African countries in front of hostile crowds that often numbered between 10 and 20,000.

John’s proudest sporting moment came in 2003, though, when he won the Lord Mayor’s Cup for bowls.

He was a member too of the National triples’ winning York team of 1993 and 1998 when, representing Bert Keech, he joined forces with Hull Road’s Gordon Walker and the last Derek Stokoe, of Copmanthorpe.

John, who lived in Knapton Lane, also had a spell as secretary of York Civil Service Cricket Club in the 1960s and, after he stopped playing bowls, became a member of the York Indoor Club, where he was involved with administration.

As part of their inheritance, John’s sons also now have their father’s collection of newspaper cuttings and programmes from City’s 1955 FA Cup semi-finalist’s ties against Notts County, Tottenham and Newcastle from that historic run.

The intention is to now auction them off to raise more funds for the academy.