Alfred Strange
Encyclopedia
Alfred Henry Strange was an English
former footballer who played most of his career as a half back
with Sheffield Wednesday
and made 20 appearances for England
.
and as a youth played for the Marehay Colliery team, where he was spotted by scouts from Portsmouth
, for whom he signed as a professional in December 1922. He started his career with Portsmouth as a centre-forward
and in his two seasons there he scored 16 goals from 24 league appearances, helping them to win the Third Division South
title in 1924.
Frustrated at the lack of regular first team opportunities at Fratton Park
, Strange moved to Second Division
Port Vale
in 1924. At Port Vale he was a regular selection, playing as an inside forward
and he made 95 league appearances over two and a half years scoring 25 goals. His excellent ball control and powerful shots impressing the fans at The Old Recreation Ground
. In February 1927 he was transferred to Sheffield Wednesday
, with Harry Anstiss
and "a substancial financial consideration" moving in the opposite direction.
At Wednesday, he was switched to right half
and "his career blossomed". He was an "ever present" when Wednesday won the Football League
title in 1928–29, and in the following season he missed only one league match as Wednesday claimed the title for the second consecutive year. Strange continued to play 40 or 41 games over the next few seasons, before age and injuries started to interrupt his career.
He missed out on most of the 1934–35 season and was unable to play in any of Wednesday's matches in the FA Cup
, when they went on to win the final
against West Bromwich Albion
4–2.
In May 1935, after 253 league and 19 cup appearances for Wednesday, Strange transferred to Bradford Park Avenue
. He played one season with Park Avenue before dropping down to lower league football, returning to his place of birth to play for Ripley Town. He also played for the Raleigh Cycles
team and for Corsham United.
three times, before receiving his first England
cap
for the match against Scotland
on 5 April 1930. He played at right half as England won 5–2, with Vic Watson
and Strange's Wednesday team-mate Ellis Rimmer
each scoring twice. Two other Sheffield Wednesday players, Ernie Blenkinsop
and William Marsden, also played in this match.
In May 1930, he accompanied England on a European tour where he played against Germany
and Austria
, both matches being drawn. He continued to be selected for England over the next few years, being appointed captain for a 5–2 loss to France
on 14 May 1931 and a 3–1 win over Wales
on 18 November 1931.
His final England appearance came at White Hart Lane
on 6 December 1933, when he was able to gain "revenge" for the defeat by France two years earlier, with England winning 4–1 (George Camsell
scoring twice).
farmer. In 1979 a room at the Ripley Leisure Centre was named the "Alf Strange Room" in his honour.
Sheffield Wednesday
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
former footballer who played most of his career as a half back
Wing half
In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
with Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
and made 20 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...
.
Club career
Strange was born in Ripley, DerbyshireRipley, Derbyshire
Ripley is a town in the Amber Valley area of Derbyshire in England.- Earliest history :Not much information is available as to when Ripley was founded, but it existed at the time of the Domesday Book, when it was held by a man called Levenot....
and as a youth played for the Marehay Colliery team, where he was spotted by scouts from Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, for whom he signed as a professional in December 1922. He started his career with Portsmouth as a centre-forward
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...
and in his two seasons there he scored 16 goals from 24 league appearances, helping them to win the Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
title in 1924.
Frustrated at the lack of regular first team opportunities at Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
, Strange moved to Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 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...
Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in 1924. At Port Vale he was a regular selection, playing as an 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...
and he made 95 league appearances over two and a half years scoring 25 goals. His excellent ball control and powerful shots impressing the fans at The Old Recreation Ground
The Old Recreation Ground
The Old Recreation Ground was a football stadium, located in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent and home to Port Vale for almost 40 years. The Rec had been Vale's home between 1913 and 1950 and was the sixth ground the club used.-Structure and facilities:...
. In February 1927 he was transferred to Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, with Harry Anstiss
Harry Anstiss
Harry Augustus Anstiss was a much travelled English footballer.-Playing career:Anstiss played for Hammersmith Athletic, Brentford, Millwall, Watford, Rochdale and Sheffield Wednesday before joining Port Vale in February 1927, along with 'a substantial financial consideration' in exchange for...
and "a substancial financial consideration" moving in the opposite direction.
At Wednesday, he was switched to right half
Wing half
In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
and "his career blossomed". He was an "ever present" when Wednesday won 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...
title in 1928–29, and in the following season he missed only one league match as Wednesday claimed the title for the second consecutive year. Strange continued to play 40 or 41 games over the next few seasons, before age and injuries started to interrupt his career.
He missed out on most of the 1934–35 season and was unable to play in any of Wednesday's matches in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The 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...
, when they went on to win the final
1935 FA Cup Final
The 1935 FA Cup Final was contested by Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion at Wembley. Sheffield Wednesday won 4–2, with goals scored by Jack Palethorpe, Mark Hooper and Ellis Rimmer...
against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
4–2.
In May 1935, after 253 league and 19 cup appearances for Wednesday, Strange transferred to Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
. He played one season with Park Avenue before dropping down to lower league football, returning to his place of birth to play for Ripley Town. He also played for the Raleigh Cycles
Raleigh Bicycle Company
The Raleigh Bicycle Company is a bicycle manufacturer originally based in Nottingham, UK. It is one of the oldest bicycle companies in the world. From 1921 to 1935 Raleigh also produced motorcycles and three-wheel cars, leading to the formation of the Reliant Company.-Early years:Raleigh's history...
team and for Corsham United.
International career
Strange was selected to represent the Football LeagueThe 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...
three times, before receiving his first 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...
cap
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 the match against 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...
on 5 April 1930. He played at right half as England won 5–2, with Vic Watson
Vic Watson
Victor Martin Watson was an English footballer who played most of his club football for West Ham United....
and Strange's Wednesday team-mate Ellis Rimmer
Ellis Rimmer
Ellis Rimmer was a former professional footballer who played for Tranmere Rovers, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town. He was a left winger who was quite tall and scored his fair share of headed goals...
each scoring twice. Two other Sheffield Wednesday players, Ernie Blenkinsop
Ernie Blenkinsop
Ernie Blenkinsop was an English footballer who played as a defender at left back. He spent the majority of his career at Sheffield Wednesday, where he won two Football League titles. He also attained 26 caps playing for England....
and William Marsden, also played in this match.
In May 1930, he accompanied England on a European tour where he played 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....
and Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
, both matches being drawn. He continued to be selected for England over the next few years, being appointed captain for a 5–2 loss to France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
on 14 May 1931 and a 3–1 win over Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on 18 November 1931.
His final England appearance came at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
on 6 December 1933, when he was able to gain "revenge" for the defeat by France two years earlier, with England winning 4–1 (George Camsell
George Camsell
George Henry Camsell was an English football player, most notably for Middlesbrough.Born in Framwellgate Moor, Durham City in 1902, Camsell played for Durham City before signing for Middlesbrough on 6 October 1925 for the sum of £500. His debut was against Nottingham Forest on 31 October 1925...
scoring twice).
Post-retirement
After retiring from football, he settled in Ripley and worked as a poultryPoultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
farmer. In 1979 a room at the Ripley Leisure Centre was named the "Alf Strange Room" in his honour.
Honours
PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
- Football League Third Division SouthFootball League Third Division SouthThe Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
champion: 1923–24.
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
- Football League 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....
champion: 1928–29 & 1929–30