Keith Ellis

Keith Ellis was an English footballer best remembered as a prolific forward for Sheffield Wednesday in the late 1950s and early 1960s, a period when the club twice finished among the top two sides in English football's top division. Born in Sheffield, he died on 11 October 2026 at the age of 90.

Ellis was spotted playing in a local works tournament for the Edgar Allen steel firm before joining Sheffield Wednesday, first on amateur forms and then as a professional. He made his first-team debut against Preston North End at Hillsborough in March 1955, though his early progress was slowed both by the form of established forward Roy Shiner and by a spell of National Service, during which he served with RAF Intelligence and was stationed in Cyprus. On his return to Hillsborough he became a first-choice striker under manager Harry Catterick, helping Wednesday finish fifth and then runners-up in Division One. His best-remembered feat came on 1 February 1961, when he scored a hat-trick as Wednesday beat Manchester United 7-2 in the FA Cup at Old Trafford. Over nine years at the club he scored 60 goals in 118 appearances, one of the better scoring records in the club's history.

Ellis left Sheffield Wednesday in 1964 after falling out of favour, moving on to Scunthorpe United, then Cardiff City and finally Lincoln City, retiring from professional football in 1965 or 1966. After football he stayed in the licensed trade and brewing industry, working as the landlord of a public house in Rotherham before becoming a sales manager for a brewery, a role he held until he retired.

News of Ellis's death was announced by Sheffield Wednesday, who described him as one of the club's great goalscorers and paid tribute to his achievements under Catterick, including the famous win over Manchester United. No cause of death has been made public. Details of a funeral or memorial service have not yet been announced.

Ellis's career came during a period widely regarded as one of Sheffield Wednesday's strongest in the post-war era, and his goals helped the club reach the upper echelons of the English game at a time when it had no European or domestic cup success to point to since the 1930s. For supporters old enough to remember the Catterick years, his name remains tied to that 7-2 victory at Old Trafford, still recalled as one of the most remarkable results in the long rivalry between the two clubs.