Related Research Articles
David Wilson was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a wing half. He started his career in the Scottish Football League and went on to play 475 matches in the English Football League, mainly for Oldham Athletic, before retiring at the age of 40. He appeared in one international match for Scotland in 1913. After retiring, he became manager of Nelson and Exeter City.
Ronald Mitchell was an English professional footballer who played as a left-half. After beginning his career as an amateur, Mitchell joined Liverpool in 1924 but failed to make a first-team appearance. In 1926 he moved to Hull City, where he spent two seasons before transferring to Nelson. Following a spell with Bristol Rovers in the 1927–28 season, Mitchell returned to non-league football, ending his career with Fleetwood Windsor Villa.
Robert Hutchinson was an English professional footballer who played as an outside forward. Born in Blyth, Northumberland, he started his career in local football, before moving to Scottish club St Mirren in 1914. He went on to play for a number of Football League clubs and for two seasons, Hutchinson had a spell in the United States. He played for 14 different teams during the course of his 16-year career, earning the moniker "nomadic" footballer.
Frederick Joseph Ferrari was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward.
Ambrose Harris was an English professional footballer who played in a number of positions, mainly as a half-back. He played in the Football League with Nelson, making almost 60 first-team appearances for the club in a four-year spell. He also played with several non-league sides throughout his career, including Barnoldswick Town.
John Brooks was an English professional footballer who played as a right-back. Born in Stockton-on-Tees, he started his career with Fulham in May 1924, and made six Football League appearances during two seasons with the club. He made his senior debut on 8 September 1924 in the 1–0 win away at Port Vale. While at Fulham, he was awarded a gold medal after giving blood to club trainer Elijah Morse at the scene of a crash. In June 1926, Brooks joined fellow Football League Second Division side Darlington and played six league matches during his first season at the club. Darlington were relegated to the Third Division North in 1927 and Brooks subsequently became a more frequent first-team player.
William Slack was an English professional footballer who played as an outside forward. Born in Skegby, he began his career in non-league football before joining Blackpool in 1927. Slack went on to play for several other Football League teams, including Nelson, Norwich City and Mansfield Town.
Patrick McDonagh was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward. A native of Partick, Glasgow, he started his career in junior football with St Anthony's before moving to England to join Football League Second Division side Barnsley in August 1926. After being restricted to reserve team football for the entirety of the 1926–27 campaign, McDonagh made his professional debut on 24 September 1927, scoring two goals in a 4–2 win at home to Clapton Orient. He made a further eight appearances for the team, before being dropped in early December and despite the sales of fellow forwards Eric Brook and Fred Tilson to Manchester City, McDonagh could not regain his place in the side.
Lewis Bedford was an English professional footballer who played as an outside forward. He started his career with West Bromwich Albion, whom he joined as an amateur in November 1920. In March 1921, Bedford signed professional terms with the club but made only three senior appearances for the side before joining Walsall in 1922. In the first of four spells with Walsall, Bedford played 97 league matches before joining Sheffield Wednesday in August 1925 for a transfer fee of £575. He scored 2 goals in 11 appearances for the Hillsborough outfit as they won the Football League Second Division at the end of the 1925–26 campaign.
Jim Buchanan was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward, or occasionally as an outside forward.
Frederick Walter Laycock was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward. He was born in Sheffield. He began his career in local football with St Mary's and Shirebrook. After a spell in the Midland League with Rotherham Town, Laycock signed as a professional with Sheffield Wednesday in March 1923. However, he failed to make a first-team appearance for the club and moved on a free transfer to Football League Third Division North side Barrow the following year. At Holker Street, Laycock scored 10 goals in 31 league matches. Said to be an outstanding header of the football, his form for Barrow attracted other clubs to his signature. At the match against Rotherham County on 16 March 1925, the final day for transfers in the 1924–25 season, several clubs sent representatives to sign the player. While the game was in progress, Laycock was called from the field of play to sign for Third Division North rivals Nelson, before completing the rest of the match for Barrow. Both Laycock and Nelson were later fined over the incident, Laycock receiving his punishment for illegally representing Barrow while contracted to a different club.
Fred Mace was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Hayfield, Derbyshire, he began his playing career in local-league football with Godley Athletic and Copley Celtic. In 1919, he joined Lancashire Combination side Stalybridge Celtic. The club was one of the founder members of the Football League Third Division North two years later, and Mace made one league appearance for them. Stalybridge left the Football League in 1923 to play in the Cheshire County League, where Mace was described as one of the best goalkeepers in the competition.
David McClure was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a right-back who had spells in Scotland, Ireland and England. He was born in Slamannan, Stirlingshire, but began his footballing career in Ireland with Glenavon. McClure then returned to Scotland to play Junior league football with Dunipace, before joining Scottish Football League club St Johnstone in 1924. In June 1927, he was signed by Football League Third Division North club Nelson and made his debut for the club on 24 September 1927 in the 2–1 win against Durham City. He went on to make 29 first-team appearances for Nelson during the 1927–28 season, and scored his first League goal in the 6–3 victory over Rochdale on 7 January 1928.
John McGuire was an English professional footballer who played for four different Football League clubs. Primarily a centre forward, he could also play as an inside forward and was occasionally used at left-half. Born in Darlington, County Durham, he began his career in non-League football with Northern Football League side Darlington Railway Athletic. He later had a spell with Cockfield before joining Football League Third Division South club Charlton Athletic in August 1925. In his first season with the London club he made six league appearances as the team finished 21st in the division and were forced to apply for re-election.
George McLaughlan was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward. During his career, he had spells at clubs in Scotland, England and Wales. He joined Celtic in 1923, but only made one league appearance for the club and was loaned out to Clydebank and Stenhousemuir. After leaving Celtic, McLaughlan had short stints at Clydebank and Mid Rhondda before joining Clyde in 1925. He was a part of the Clyde team that won the Scottish Cup that year, and in 1926 he moved to England with Football League Second Division side Darlington.
William Morton was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. Most likely born in Northumberland, he played the majority of his career in local-league football but also had spells in The Football League. Morton played for Bedlington P.M. and Newbiggin West End before joining Third Division North side Durham City in 1927. However, he was unable to break into the first-team and did not make a senior appearance for the club. He left Durham the following year and returned to non-League football with Craghead United. In January 1929, Morton was signed by Third Division North outfit Nelson, initially as an amateur. He scored twice on his debut in the 4–1 win against Stockport County on 22 January and was awarded a professional contract the following month. He went on to score three goals in eight League appearances for Nelson, but he was unable to displace Bernard Radford as the club's first-choice centre forward, and was not retained at the end of the 1928–29 season.
James Stevens Pearson was an English professional footballer who played as a full back. He was born in Heywood, Lancashire, and began his career in non-League football with his hometown club in the early 1920s. In April 1925, Pearson joined Football League Third Division North side Nelson, initially as an amateur, although he was offered a professional contract in September of the same year. He made his debut for Nelson on 3 October 1925 in the 0–1 defeat away at Coventry City and appeared in the following five matches, but then spent the majority of the 1925–26 season in the reserve team. During the 1926–27 campaign, Pearson was more involved in first-team activities and appeared in more than half of Nelson's league fixtures, although he was never able to properly displace club captain Clem Rigg from the left-back berth. He returned to the reserves for the 1927–28 season, making only seven senior appearances. Following a disappointing campaign in which the team finished bottom of the division, Nelson retained only six of their professional squad in the summer of 1928, and Pearson was one of several players to leave the club.
Thomas Edward Tebb was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward. Born in Westerhope, he began his career in amateur football before joining Third Division North side Nelson in 1930. He made 14 senior appearances for the club and scored Nelson's last goal in the Football League. Tebb went on to assist Wigan Borough and Lancaster Town and had an unsuccessful spell with Tottenham Hotspur.
William George Ruffell was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward. He was the younger brother of Jimmy Ruffell, who made more than 500 league appearances for West Ham United and won six caps for the England national football team.
Edwin Simpson was an English professional footballer who played as a left-half. Born in Chilton, County Durham, he played 17 matches in the Football League for Nelson and also had spells in non-League football.
References
- Dykes, Garth (2009). Nelson FC in the Football League. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-905891-29-0.
- Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888–1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 39. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.