for Wales, scoring 23 goals. His caps record stood for nearly twenty years until it was beaten by Joey Jones and his 23 goals tied Trevor Ford as Wales' highest scoring player until Ian Rush later overtook the pair. Personal life Following his return from national service, Allchurch became engaged to Esme Thomas who was 16 at the time, the couple keeping their engagement secret from their parents until she turned 18. The pair publicly revealed their engagement when she turned 18 and eventually married in 1953, settling in the Mumbles district of Swansea. The couple had two sons, John and David. Following Allchurch's transfer to Newcastle in 1958, the family relocated to Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne. He was named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year in 1962 and, in 1966, he was awarded a Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to Welsh football. He is also a member of the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and the English Football Hall of Fame having been inducted in 1995 and 2005 respectively. Allchurch and his wife moved to a bungalow in Bishopston, Swansea after his retirement from professional football and he worked as a storeman for a stationery company. He died on 10 July 1997 at his home aged 67. His funeral was held at Swansea Crematorium and attracted over 500 people. To celebrate Allchurch's achievements for his local club, it was originally decided that money should be raised for a bust of him, which was raised by Swansea City supporters. However, the strong support eventually saw the plans changed to incorporate a statute outside their stadium. In 2005, a life-sized statue of Allchurch was unveiled outside Swansea's newly opened Liberty Stadium. Career statistics Source: Honours Swansea Town Welsh Cup: 1950, 1966 Cardiff City Welsh Cup: 1964, 1965 References Bibliography 1929 births 1997 deaths Welsh footballers Wales international footballers Newcastle United F.C. players Cardiff City F.C. players Swansea City A.F.C. players Worcester City F.C. players Footballers from Swansea Members of the Order of the British Empire 1958 FIFA World Cup players English Football League players Association football inside forwards English Football Hall of Fame inductees Haverfordwest County A.F.C. players Welsh people of English descent Welsh football managers Pontardawe Town F.C. managers Haverfordwest County A.F.C. managers Royal Artillery soldiers 20th-century British Army personnel