Alex Leake
Encyclopedia
Alexander Leake known as Alex or Alec Leake, was an English professional footballer who won five caps
for his country and made 407 appearances in the Football League
playing as a half-back for Small Heath
, Aston Villa
and Burnley
. After retiring from playing he took up coaching, both with professional clubs and at school level. He was a cousin of fellow Small Heath and England
forward Jimmy Windridge
.
. After leaving school he trained as a blacksmith
with Hoskins & Sewell, manufacturers of metal bedsteads, in the Bordesley
district of Birmingham, and played for the works football team. He later helped Old Hill
Wanderers to the championship of the Birmingham & District League in the 1893–94 season
. His success with Old Hill did not go unnoticed, and he signed for Small Heath
, newly promoted to the First Division
, in July 1894.
Leake made his Small Heath debut in October 1895 at left-half, but from midway through that season (in which the club were relegated
) for the following four years he rarely missed a game at centre-half. He was soon appointed captain. When he did suffer an injury early in the 1899–1900
season, inside forward
Walter Wigmore
was tried at centre-half, and by the time Leake regained fitness, his position was taken. He played the remainder of his Small Heath career at left-half or occasionally inside-left. He helped the club gain promotion back to the First Division in 1901, but left at the end of the 1901–02
season when they were relegated again. During this season he played in an England
trial match and along with clubmate Sid Wharton
played for an England XI in an unofficial international against Germany
.
He joined Aston Villa
in July 1902, when he was 31, and stayed five years. In his first season the club were runners-up in the First Division, and in 1905 he played in their 1905 FA Cup Final
team which beat Newcastle United
2–0. While with Aston Villa Leake won five official caps for England, making his international debut at the age of 32 on 12 March 1904 in a 3–1 win against Ireland in Belfast
.
Leake found himself unwittingly at the centre of one of the great scandals of English football. In the last League game of the 1904–05
season, Manchester City
needed to beat Aston Villa to win the title. It was a spiteful game, and he had been involved in confrontations, both physical and verbal, with opponents. Afterwards Leake, who had captained the side, claimed that City's Billy Meredith
had offered him a bribe of £10 for his team to throw the match
. Meredith was found guilty by the Football Association
, fined, and suspended from all football for 18 months. Because his club refused to help him financially, Meredith made public the illegal payments Manchester City were making to their players. An FA investigation resulted in life bans for directors, long suspensions for players, and the club being forced to sell its playing staff.
An Aston Villa match programme of 1906 describes him as
Burnley
manager Spen Whittaker
took him to the club in December 1907, by which time he was 36 years old. He stayed with them a further two-and-a-half years, playing a significant part in building a team for the future. His arrival has been described thus:
When Burnley were promoted to the First Division in 1913, Leake was long gone, but he played his part. At the celebration dinner, the club chairman commented that,
In 1910 he returned to the Midlands
and played for one season with Wednesbury Old Athletic which had just been elected to the Birmingham & District League. He then took up posts as trainer with Crystal Palace
, Merthyr Town
, and Walsall
, and also coached at school level.
Leake died in his native Birmingham at the age of 66.
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for his country and made 407 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing as a half-back for Small Heath
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
and Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
. After retiring from playing he took up coaching, both with professional clubs and at school level. He was a cousin of fellow Small Heath and 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...
forward Jimmy Windridge
Jimmy Windridge
James Edwin "Jimmy" Windridge was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. He made more than 250 appearances in the Football League for Small Heath/Birmingham, Chelsea and Middlesbrough, and played eight times for England.-Football career:Born in Small Heath, Birmingham, Windridge...
.
Biography
Alex Leake was born in Small Heath, BirminghamSmall Heath, Birmingham
Small Heath is an inner-city area within the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is situated on and around the A45 ....
. After leaving school he trained as a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
with Hoskins & Sewell, manufacturers of metal bedsteads, in the Bordesley
Bordesley, West Midlands
Bordesley is an area of Birmingham, England and is part of the City's Nechells Ward.It is served by Bordesley railway station.It should not be confused with nearby Bordesley Green.-Notable residents :...
district of Birmingham, and played for the works football team. He later helped Old Hill
Old Hill
Old Hill is a locality in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in West Midlands, England. It is a district of Cradley Heath.-General description:...
Wanderers to the championship of the Birmingham & District League in the 1893–94 season
1893-94 in English football
The 1893–94 season was the 23rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:The 1893–94 season saw four of the most famous teams in English Footballing history join the Second Division: Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester City, and the first team based in London, Woolwich Arsenal...
. His success with Old Hill did not go unnoticed, and he signed for Small Heath
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, newly promoted to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, in July 1894.
Leake made his Small Heath debut in October 1895 at left-half, but from midway through that season (in which the club were relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
) for the following four years he rarely missed a game at centre-half. He was soon appointed captain. When he did suffer an injury early in the 1899–1900
1899-00 in English football
The 1899–1900 season was the 29th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Chesterfield and Middlesbrough replaced Blackpool and Darwen in the Football League....
season, inside forward
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
Walter Wigmore
Walter Wigmore
Walter Wigmore was an English professional footballer who made more than 400 appearances in the Football League playing for Sheffield United, Gainsborough Trinity and Small Heath / Birmingham in a 17-year career...
was tried at centre-half, and by the time Leake regained fitness, his position was taken. He played the remainder of his Small Heath career at left-half or occasionally inside-left. He helped the club gain promotion back to the First Division in 1901, but left at the end of the 1901–02
1901-02 in English football
The 1901–02 season was the 31st season of competitive football in England.-League changes:Doncaster Rovers and Burton United replaced Walsall and Burton Swifts in the Football League. Burton United were formed by a merger of Burton Swifts with former League side Burton Wanderers...
season when they were relegated again. During this season he played in an 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...
trial match and along with clubmate Sid Wharton
Sid Wharton
Sidney Emmanuel "Sid" Wharton was an English professional footballer who played for Small Heath as a winger. He was a pacy winger with good ball-control who created chances and was always involved in the game. He made 167 appearances in all competitions for Small Heath...
played for an England XI in an unofficial international against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
.
He joined Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in July 1902, when he was 31, and stayed five years. In his first season the club were runners-up in the First Division, and in 1905 he played in their 1905 FA Cup Final
1905 FA Cup Final
The 1905 FA Cup Final was contested by Aston Villa and Newcastle United at Crystal Palace. Aston Villa were victorious, winning 2–0, with Harry Hampton scoring both goals....
team which beat Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
2–0. While with Aston Villa Leake won five official caps for England, making his international debut at the age of 32 on 12 March 1904 in a 3–1 win against Ireland in 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...
.
Leake found himself unwittingly at the centre of one of the great scandals of English football. In the last League game of the 1904–05
1904-05 in English football
The 1904–05 season was the 34th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Stockport County were replaced by Doncaster Rovers in the Second Division....
season, 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...
needed to beat Aston Villa to win the title. It was a spiteful game, and he had been involved in confrontations, both physical and verbal, with opponents. Afterwards Leake, who had captained the side, claimed that City's Billy Meredith
Billy Meredith
William Henry "Billy" Meredith was a Welsh footballer. He was considered one of the early superstars of football due to his performances, notably for Manchester City and Manchester United. He won each domestic trophy in the English football league and also gained 48 caps for Wales, for whom he...
had offered him a bribe of £10 for his team to throw the match
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
. Meredith was found guilty by the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, fined, and suspended from all football for 18 months. Because his club refused to help him financially, Meredith made public the illegal payments Manchester City were making to their players. An FA investigation resulted in life bans for directors, long suspensions for players, and the club being forced to sell its playing staff.
An Aston Villa match programme of 1906 describes him as
- "A good-tempered, honest worker; safe rather than showy. Hard to beat in a tackle, and good at spoiling an opponent's pass. Alert, keeps his head, and never tires in the hardest matches. His unfailing good humor has made him a general favourite."
Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
manager Spen Whittaker
Spen Whittaker
Spen Whittaker known as "Spen", was the manager of Burnley from 1903 to 1910.His reign as Burnley manager was to come to a tragic end in April 1910. Whittaker was on his way to London by train to register the signing of a new player. When the train stopped in Crewe, it was reported that a man had...
took him to the club in December 1907, by which time he was 36 years old. He stayed with them a further two-and-a-half years, playing a significant part in building a team for the future. His arrival has been described thus:
- "By this time Leake was 36 years old, but he still possessed the panache of a class player. His authority on the pitch led to his appointment as team captain, and the faithful on the terraces at Turf Moor purred their appreciation, taking an instant shine to their new centre-half. One should not underestimate the psychological benefits of having a man there who had been at the top of his profession, a natural leader who could counsel and advise the youngsters from a position of experience."
When Burnley were promoted to the First Division in 1913, Leake was long gone, but he played his part. At the celebration dinner, the club chairman commented that,
- "We replaced the old with the new, and did this all the time with a profit to the club. The purchase of Alex Leake started the financial success of Burnley Football Club. When we played Rawtenstall and Fishwick Rovers in 1883, the gates were a few pounds only. This season we have joined at gates of £3,003 against Blackburn and £2,256 against Sunderland."
In 1910 he returned to the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and played for one season with Wednesbury Old Athletic which had just been elected to the Birmingham & District League. He then took up posts as trainer with Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Merthyr Town
Merthyr Town F.C.
Merthyr Town Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. For the 2011–2012 season the club will be playing in the Western Football League Premier Division at Penydarren Park in Merthyr....
, and Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
, and also coached at school level.
Leake died in his native Birmingham at the age of 66.
Honours
- with Old Hill Wanderers
- Birmingham & District League champions 18941893-94 in English footballThe 1893–94 season was the 23rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:The 1893–94 season saw four of the most famous teams in English Footballing history join the Second Division: Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester City, and the first team based in London, Woolwich Arsenal...
- Birmingham & District League champions 1894
- with Small Heath
- Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
promotion 1901
- Second Division
- with Aston Villa
- First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
runners up 1903 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners 19051905 FA Cup FinalThe 1905 FA Cup Final was contested by Aston Villa and Newcastle United at Crystal Palace. Aston Villa were victorious, winning 2–0, with Harry Hampton scoring both goals....
- First Division
- with Wednesbury Old Athletic
- Wednesbury Charity Cup joint winners 1911
External links
- Profile at Aston Villa Player Database.