'Tiddler' Cannon: Super Keeper

[anthony.brown]

From the Hertfordshire Express Saturday 1st November 1930
HITCHIN FOOTBALLERS
'EXPRESS PEN SKETCHES'
C.R.M.CANNON
Cecil Robert Metcalf Cannon, Hitchin's new goalkeeper, was born in Hitchin 29 years ago. He started to play football at school in Hitchin at the age of nine. Later he went to the East Anglian [Middle Class] School at Bury St Edmunds, and played centre-forward in matches against all the local league and army teams. During the war he was in the Royal Air Force in Italy and played half-back for his squadron.
The year 1919 saw him in goal for Hitchin Blue Cross, and taking the first steps in his brilliant football career. Since then he has played for three seasons with St Albans City and three years with Cambridge.
His ability as a footballer can scarcely be more highly recognised than it has been. On October 11 this year he played for the Southern Counties against the Northern in an amateur match and Southern Counties won by 7-1. Ten years ago he joined the Herts County team and has played in it 47 times. Herts never won the county championship until Cannon was made captain seven years ago. He has been captain six times. The highest honour he has attained has been a place in a team of amateurs and professionals representing the Football Association. Eleven or twelve times he has represented the Amateur Football Association, the Isthmian League six times, and the Southern Amateur League about six times. On three occasions he has played in Amateur Cup semi-finals, twice for St Albans and once for Cambridge. His trophies comprise 25 medals, three cups, four badges, and seven caps.
Any kind of sport in which he can take part interests Cannon. He can give a good account of himself at tennis, Badminton, and cricket.
How he earned his nickname of 'Tiddler' he cannot remember. It was given to him at the age of two!

[Brian Parker]

My father told a story about "Tiddler" Cannon. His friend said that in his opinion "Tiddler" was the best goalkeeper in the country. In those days my father used to follow the Arsenal, so he asked his friend if he would like to accompany him to their match against Man City whose goalkeeper at the time was Frank Swift, who had a great game even for him. As they left the ground my father asked his friend if he still thought that "Tiddler" was still the best keeper in the country, to which the reply was "well maybe second best!"

[anthony.brown]

Just a couple of years before he signed for Hitchin, the following story was all over the national press:
GASSED IN BATH
Cecil Cannon, Cambridge Town's goalkeeper, formerly of St Albans, was rendered unconscious on Sunday by fumes from a geyser in his bathroom, and he was found by his wife in the bath. Two doctors applied artificial respiration for 30 minutes before there was any sign of life, and he did not regain consciousness for four hours.
Birmingham Daily Gazette Tuesday 7th February 1928