Rip Andy Rankin 1944-2023

FB saying Andy Rankin has died?

 

Obviously don't want to title it unless confirmed...

 

Toffees saying the same...

 

Yes, Andy Rankin has died today. Very sad news. Great keeper. One of Watford’s greatest ever.

 

RIP Andy.

 

Oh that's sad news.
RIP Andy.

 

@Mods - please change the title...

 

One of my first WFC heroes :-(

 

You'll have to report it to make the request, as @Mods isn't a thing.

 

Done, and thanks UEA...

 

RIP Andy

 

RIP.

 

Played at the wrong rime to earn the riches his talent deserved, a thoroughly decent chap and a very good keeper, R.I.P. Sir!

 

That’s very sad news. Andy Rankin was a wonderful goalkeeper. I hope the club have part of the ground named after him. Such fond memories of him in goal for us. RIP Andy.

 

Very sad. He was coming to the end of his time at Watford when I started going to matches. He was very highly regarded by the club. I believe he became a fork lift truck driver when he finished at Huddersfield. Very humble. Football was much better then.

RIP Andy. A true Watford Legend.

 

Very sad news. I also didn’t see much of him between the sticks as 79/80 was my first season.

I never met him, but I once worked with his nephew and helped set up the interview for Leighton Buzzard Hornet’s Watford Legends site. By all accounts he was a lovely bloke.

RIP Andy

 

I didn't realise, but Andy Rankin was actually 4 months older than GT!! I hope the club recognise him in some way, naming something after him in the stadium. He certainly would deserve that. Maybe one of the goals to be called the 'Rankin Goal' or an executive suite?

I've just gone back through the old records to see how many times I saw him play live. It was only 4 (I think), as I didn't start watching Watford until March 1979, but he was certainly the first ever keeper I saw play for Watford.

 

Great goalie for us - over 300 games I think - the save at Man U in our 1978 league cup win as a Div 3 side had to be seen to be believed and i, along with a few others on here were old enough to be there.

RIP Andy

 

Andy Rankin made what I consider to be the best save I’ve ever seen by a Watford goalkeeper. No, not the one at Man U; it was in a home game against Exeter in the 4th division. Obviously I only saw it once on the day, but it was reminiscent of the famous Gordon Banks/Pele save in that it was a low shot saved down by the post that at the last moment he managed to get up and over the bar.
He was always a great shot stopper, but we should also remember the long service he gave to the club. He joined from Everton when we were in the 2nd division but stuck with us all the way down to the 4th until GT arrived and then back up to play for us again at 2nd division level.
RIP Andy.

 

What a keeper. RIP.

 

https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/23738391.former-watford-keeper-andy-rankin-dies-age-79/

Nice WO tribute. So sad to hear this even if not wholly unexpected. Can still picture THAT save at Old Trafford (even in the drunken haze I had that night!).

 

I always feared that the freak injury he suffered carrying coal into his house (no central heating for the Rankins!) would eventually catch up with him.

 

Injured getting the coal in and went on to become a forklift driver after he retired from football.... different times. Once called me a bloody nuisance for asking him for his autograph while he was drinking a cup of tea - before putting his tea down and signing. RIP Andy

 

That's a pretty ironic message for him to write on your autograph

 

Good judge of character.

 

Pretty disappointing that the club hasn’t marked this on the official site so far.

 

He joined us as a tier 2 club, but stayed loyal even as we plummeted to tier 4 and he had to try to plug the holes in a sieve of a defence in front of him. At least GT’s arrival allowed him the luxury of some less fraught games!
And watching THAT save from the away end was one of my highlights following us.

 

On my Facebook feed.

 

https://twitter.com/WatfordFC/status/1693945225545154885
Was the first Watford keeper I saw. Always thought he looked too small, too slight to be a keeper but he was so dependable and such a great keeper. Sherwood took his place for a while but Andy fought back to reclaim his spot before finally moving on in 1980. Perhaps THAT save at Old Trafford will always remain the most famous ever save by a Watford keeper ?

 

Harsh

 

Brings back great childhood memories.
RIP Andy.

 

The Watford Observer website is dreadful. So many ads flashing and spinning I can't believe anyone can look at that for more than 2 minutes without throwing up or getting a nose bleed

 

Was very happy when we signed him, even though we already had a very good keeper in Mike Walker.

Always reliable and a very decent gk. RIP Andy.