THE funeral of former York City goalkeeper Eddie Blackburn will take place on Friday at York Crematorium.

Blackburn died last week at the age of 61.

He played for the Minstermen in the early 1980s and the service will start at 1.40pm with his life celebrated at The Green Tree in Beckfield Lane afterwards.

The net-minder spent almost three years at Bootham Crescent after arriving at the club from Hull City in April 1980.

He was Barry Lyons’ first signing as manager and was voted Clubman of the Year after City finished bottom of the old fourth division in 1980-81.

Blackburn also played in goal for the majority of the following campaign as the Minstermen came 17th in the same division under Lyons and caretaker-managers Kevin Randall and Barry Swallow.

He made a total of 87 appearances for the club, before joining Hartlepool, initially on loan, in December 1982.

Going on to make 175 appearances for the north-east outfit, he then moved to Sweden for a six-month loan spell with Halmstads BK, where his career was ended by an ankle injury.

Although originally from Tyne and Wear, Blackburn had lived in Acomb since his City days, working as a caretaker at Carr Junior School and an assistant in a local nursing home.

He is survived by daughter Haley and son Chris.