Dave Beasant
A goalkeeper whose FA Cup final heroics and improbable longevity made him a beloved figure in English football.
Born 1959 (age 67)·English footballer·Birthday: March 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dave Beasant's career is a testament to resilience and a single, shining moment of glory. The 6'4" goalkeeper spent over two decades as a professional, representing a dozen clubs, but his name is forever etched in history for the 1988 FA Cup final. Playing for Wimbledon's 'Crazy Gang' against the mighty Liverpool, Beasant didn't just win; he made history. He became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final at Wembley, denying John Aldridge, and later lifted the trophy as captain. His career afterward was a marathon of loan spells and first-team battles, including a notable stint at Chelsea. Beasant's legacy isn't built on a cabinet of silverware, but on that iconic afternoon and his remarkable durability, playing his final professional match at age 47, embodying the journeyman spirit of the game.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dave was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Captained Wimbledon to a historic FA Cup victory in 1988, saving a penalty in the final.
- Became the first goalkeeper to save a spot-kick in an FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
- Made over 750 professional appearances across a career spanning 27 years.
- Won the Full Members' Cup with Chelsea in 1990.
- Played in the Premier League for Southampton at the age of 41.
Did You Know?
He once missed three months of the season after dropping a bottle of salad cream on his foot, severing a tendon.
He holds the record for the most Premier League appearances without ever scoring a goal.
His son, Sam Beasant, also became a professional goalkeeper.
He made his final professional appearance for Brighton & Hove Albion in 2003 at age 44.
Beasant was an accomplished cricketer in his youth and considered pursuing it professionally.
“I saved John Aldridge's penalty and we won the FA Cup.”
