Albert Geldard
Encyclopedia
Albert Geldard was an English
professional footballer who played as an outside right for Bradford Park Avenue, Everton
, Bolton Wanderers
and Darwen
. At Everton he won the FA Cup Final
in 1933
. He made four appearances for England
during 1933–1937. At Bradford Park Avenue; he became known as the youngest player to appear in the Football League, a distinction shared jointly with Ken Roberts
until Reuben Noble-Lazarus
took the record in 2008.
, Yorkshire
and played his youth football with Bradford Schools and Manningham Mills. Magic was one of Geldard's hobbies, with toffeeweb referring to the winger as "a real wizard, both on and off the pitch. His hobbies included magic tricks and he was one of the trickiest right wingers ever seen: he was devastatingly fast and he had a trick-bag that seemingly never ran out." He joined Bradford Park Avenue as a professional in 1928.
His debut came at The Den
on 16 September 1929 against Millwall
to become the youngest player to appear in the Football League at just 15 years and 158 days old. He left Bradford Park Avenue having scored six goals in 34 games; signing for Everton
on 14 November 1932 for a then record fee of £4,000.
where he scored a goal. Geldard formed a duet with striker
Tommy Lawton
, by producing good crosses for him to head home. Tony Matthews described Geldard as; "Geldard was a slippery customer who possessed an exceptional turn of speed, could shoot with both feet and enjoyed taking on opponents, either on the outside or inside." Taking part in the cup-tie of the century on 30 January 1935, Geldard scored two goals to help Everton progress into the fifth round of the 1935 FA Cup after the 6–4 defeat of Sunderland
.
Geldard was part of the Everton
side that won the 1933 FA Cup Final
with a 3–0 win over Manchester City
at Wembley with goals from Jimmy Stein, Dixie Dean
and James Dunn
; with Geldard crossing in for the third goal. Tommy Lawton
was disappointed at the trade of Geldard saying; "He was the fastest thing on two legs over ten yards. We had other wingers like Torry Gillick, Wally Boyes and Jimmy Caskie, but Albert had played for England only the season before, when he'd kept Stan Matthews out of the team. I thought we'd miss him." In total Geldard had made 140 appearances for Everton scoring 38 goals.
signed Geldard for £4,500 in July 1938, and his debut came against Charlton Athletic
on 27 August 1938 and scored his first goal for The Trotters on 18 February 1939 against his former club Everton
. He was enlisted in the 53rd field regiment RA (Bolton Artillery) in May, 1939 to fight in the Second World War
along with 14 of his Bolton teammates.
and played a few games for a the Lancashire based club, after World War II, Geldard returned to play for Bolton in 1946 and played nine games scoring a single goal, but was forced to retire from football after a knee injury in 1947.
on 13 May 1933 at the age of 19 against Italy
in a 1–1 draw at Stadio Nazionale PNF
, making him the 10th youngest player to ever appear for England; at this time he was playing at Everton
, going onto make four appearances for England in total in games against; Switzerland
, Scotland
and Northern Ireland
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer who played as an outside right for Bradford Park Avenue, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
and Darwen
Darwen F.C.
A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:...
. At Everton he won the FA Cup Final
1933 FA Cup Final
The 1933 FA Cup Final was a football match between Everton and Manchester City on 29 April 1933 at Wembley Stadium in London. The deciding match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the 62nd final, and the 11th at Wembley...
in 1933
1932-33 in English football
The 1932–33 season was the 58th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
. He made four appearances for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
during 1933–1937. At Bradford Park Avenue; he became known as the youngest player to appear in the Football League, a distinction shared jointly with Ken Roberts
Ken Roberts (footballer)
Kenneth Owen Roberts was a professional footballer with Wrexham and Aston Villa who later achieved managerial success with Chester.-Playing career:...
until Reuben Noble-Lazarus
Reuben Noble-Lazarus
Reuben Courtney Noble-Lazarus is an English footballer who currently plays for Barnsley.- Career :At 15 years and 45 days old, he became the youngest player ever to feature in a Football League match when he came on as a substitute during Barnsley's 3–0 Championship defeat by Ipswich Town on 30...
took the record in 2008.
Bradford Park Avenue
Geldard was born at BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and played his youth football with Bradford Schools and Manningham Mills. Magic was one of Geldard's hobbies, with toffeeweb referring to the winger as "a real wizard, both on and off the pitch. His hobbies included magic tricks and he was one of the trickiest right wingers ever seen: he was devastatingly fast and he had a trick-bag that seemingly never ran out." He joined Bradford Park Avenue as a professional in 1928.
His debut came at The Den
The Den (stadium)
The Den was the fifth football stadium occupied by Millwall F.C. in Cold Blow Lane, New Cross, London since their formation in Millwall on the Isle of Dogs in 1885 before moving to The New Den, in May 1993. The ground opened in 1910 and was the home of Millwall for 83 years. It boasted a record...
on 16 September 1929 against Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
to become the youngest player to appear in the Football League at just 15 years and 158 days old. He left Bradford Park Avenue having scored six goals in 34 games; signing for Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on 14 November 1932 for a then record fee of £4,000.
Everton
Joining Everton, his debut came against MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
where he scored a goal. Geldard formed a duet with striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Tommy Lawton
Tommy Lawton
Thomas "Tommy" Lawton was an English association footballer who rose to fame a short time before the outbreak of the Second World War and enjoyed a successful career which lasted until well into the 1950s....
, by producing good crosses for him to head home. Tony Matthews described Geldard as; "Geldard was a slippery customer who possessed an exceptional turn of speed, could shoot with both feet and enjoyed taking on opponents, either on the outside or inside." Taking part in the cup-tie of the century on 30 January 1935, Geldard scored two goals to help Everton progress into the fifth round of the 1935 FA Cup after the 6–4 defeat of Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
.
Geldard was part of the Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
side that won the 1933 FA Cup Final
1933 FA Cup Final
The 1933 FA Cup Final was a football match between Everton and Manchester City on 29 April 1933 at Wembley Stadium in London. The deciding match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the 62nd final, and the 11th at Wembley...
with a 3–0 win over Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
at Wembley with goals from Jimmy Stein, Dixie Dean
Dixie Dean
William Ralph Dean , better known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player. Dean originally started his career with Birkenhead based Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child, where he became one of the most prolific goal-scorers in English football...
and James Dunn
James Dunn (Scottish footballer)
James "Jimmy" Dunn was a Scottish professional international footballer, most famous for being part of the 1928 Wembley Wizards side....
; with Geldard crossing in for the third goal. Tommy Lawton
Tommy Lawton
Thomas "Tommy" Lawton was an English association footballer who rose to fame a short time before the outbreak of the Second World War and enjoyed a successful career which lasted until well into the 1950s....
was disappointed at the trade of Geldard saying; "He was the fastest thing on two legs over ten yards. We had other wingers like Torry Gillick, Wally Boyes and Jimmy Caskie, but Albert had played for England only the season before, when he'd kept Stan Matthews out of the team. I thought we'd miss him." In total Geldard had made 140 appearances for Everton scoring 38 goals.
Bolton Wanderers
BoltonBolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
signed Geldard for £4,500 in July 1938, and his debut came against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on 27 August 1938 and scored his first goal for The Trotters on 18 February 1939 against his former club Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. He was enlisted in the 53rd field regiment RA (Bolton Artillery) in May, 1939 to fight in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
along with 14 of his Bolton teammates.
Darwen
He returned from the war with an agreement with Bolton for him to play on semi professional terms for DarwenDarwen F.C.
A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:...
and played a few games for a the Lancashire based club, after World War II, Geldard returned to play for Bolton in 1946 and played nine games scoring a single goal, but was forced to retire from football after a knee injury in 1947.
International career
He made his debut for EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on 13 May 1933 at the age of 19 against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in a 1–1 draw at Stadio Nazionale PNF
Stadio Nazionale PNF
The Stadio Nazionale del PNF was a multi-purpose stadium in Rome, Italy. It was built in 1927 and held 50,000 people. It hosted three of the 17 matches of the 1934 FIFA World Cup, including the final between hosts Italy and Czechoslovakia on 10 June 1934.Clubs S.S. Lazio and A.S...
, making him the 10th youngest player to ever appear for England; at this time he was playing at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, going onto make four appearances for England in total in games against; Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
, Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
.
International appearances
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 13 May 1933 | Stadio Nazionale PNF Stadio Nazionale PNF The Stadio Nazionale del PNF was a multi-purpose stadium in Rome, Italy. It was built in 1927 and held 50,000 people. It hosted three of the 17 matches of the 1934 FIFA World Cup, including the final between hosts Italy and Czechoslovakia on 10 June 1934.Clubs S.S. Lazio and A.S... , Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
1–1 | Draw | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2. | 29 May 1933 | Sportplatz Neufeld, Berne Berne The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
0–4 | Win | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 3. | 6 April 1935 | Hampden Park Hampden Park Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland... , Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
2–0 | Loss | British Home Championship British Home Championship The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84... |
|
| 4. | 23 October 1937 | Windsor Park Windsor Park Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:... , Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
1–5 | Win | British Home Championship British Home Championship The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84... |