Ex-Birmingham City goalkeeper Gil Merrick remembered

Merrick played for Birmingham City between 1939 and 1960

Former England goalkeeper and long-serving Birmingham City player Gil Merrick has been remembered by fans at a memorial service.

Supporters gathered at the club's St Andrew's stadium in the stand named after the Sparkhill-born goalkeeper.

Merrick, who died aged 88, made more than 700 appearances for the Blues between 1939 and 1960. He also managed the club to League Cup glory in 1963.

The goalkeeper won 23 caps for England and played in the 1954 World Cup.

The service included a minute's silence, tributes and readings.

Footage was also shown on a big screen to supporters, who gathered in the stand known as the Railway Stand before it was renamed in honour of the goalkeeper last year.

He had fantastic hands Chief executive Michael Dunford

Chief executive Michael Dunford described Merrick as a "fantastic man" who stayed loyal to the club and was "an absolute legend in the eyes of Birmingham City fans".

He added: "In the present atmosphere in football and conditions, then Gil Merrick would have been one of the great players, playing for England.

"[A] transfer fee for Gil Merrick [would be] probably priceless, but certainly in today's market you would be looking upside of £10m plus, wouldn't you?

"I had the privilege of meeting him only two or three times since I came to the club in October.

Supporters gathered in the stand named after the goalkeeper

"You only had to look at his hands - no wonder he caught the ball so often.

"He had fantastic hands, but he was a pure gentleman as well."

Merrick played 126 consecutive league games between 1949 and 1952 and kept goal in the 1956 FA Cup final, in which Birmingham City were beaten 3-1 by Manchester City.

He played against Ferenc Puskas's Hungry when England lost 6-3 at Wembley in 1953 and 7-1 at the Nepstadio the following year.

Merrick, who retired as a player in 1960, was the manager when Birmingham City beat Aston Villa 3-1 on aggregate in a two-leg final to win the 1963 League Cup.

In August 2009 Merrick became a recipient of a Broad Street Star on the Birmingham Walk of Fame.