Francis Eardley was a footballer who played for 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...

 for Stoke

Stoke City F.C.

Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

, and for numerous local amateur clubs.

Playing career

Eardley started his career with non-league amateur sides Hanley Town

Hanley Town F.C.

Hanley Town Football Club play in the Staffordshire County Senior League which is part of step 7 of the non-league football pyramid. The club take their name from the largest of the six towns in Stoke-on-Trent, which is Hanley...

, Tunstall Park and Goldenhill Wanderers. He joined Stoke

Stoke City F.C.

Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

 in 1908, playing three league games before leaving the club the following year. Following this he signed with local side

Potteries derby

The Potteries derby is the football local derby in Stoke-on-Trent between Port Vale and Stoke City. The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals; this has led to a heated atmosphere at these matches, especially with the rise of football hooliganism and the 'Naughty Forty'...

 Burslem 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...

, playing his first game for the club in a 3–0 home defeat by Stoke Reserves in a North Staffordshire & District League match on 8 October 1910. He scored four goals in eight games over all competitions before leaving the club at the end of the 1910–11 season.