Alan Knight obituary — Alan Edward Knight MBE, who kept goal for Portsmouth for twenty-two years and holds the record for the most appearances made for a single club by a goalkeeper, died on 1 September 2026. He was 65.
Compiled from published reports. Last updated 2 September 2026.
Quick answers
When did Alan Knight die?
He died on 1 September 2026, aged 65.
What was Alan Knight’s cause of death?
Prostate cancer.
What record does Alan Knight hold?
The most appearances for a single club by a goalkeeper — 683 league games for Portsmouth, passing Peter Bonetti’s 600.
Twenty-two years at Fratton Park
He was born on 3 July 1961 in Balham, south London, and joined Portsmouth as a teenager. He stayed from 1978 to 2000 — 683 league appearances, 801 in all competitions — and passed Peter Bonetti’s record of 600 to become the goalkeeper with the most appearances for one club.
He is the only player to have represented Portsmouth across four different decades, and the club’s second-longest-serving player after Jimmy Dickinson.
He won three England Youth caps in 1979 and two England Under-21 caps in 1983, making his Under-21 debut in a European Championship qualifier against Greece.
The testimonial, and afterwards
His testimonial in 1995, against Southampton, drew 18,000 to Fratton Park. Portsmouth lost 5–1. He scored from the penalty spot.
He stayed in the game after retiring, as Portsmouth’s goalkeeping coach and later in coaching roles at FC Dallas, AFC Bournemouth, Aldershot Town and Havant & Waterlooville, and as manager of Dorchester Town and Horndean.
He was appointed MBE in 2001, given an honorary Master of Science by the University of Portsmouth in 1996, and granted the Freedom of the City of Portsmouth on 5 May 2025.
A note from Memories Mortuary
Memories Mortuary had no involvement in Alan Knight’s funeral arrangements. This obituary is published as a tribute, compiled from published reports. Obituaries for the families we serve are published separately.
Sources for this Alan Knight obituary
- Death, date, age and cause — Wikipedia, Deaths in September 2026: en.wikipedia.org
- Career, records and honours — Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org
Verified against the sources above on 2 September 2026.
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