Albert Valentine
Albert Finch Valentine (3 June 1907 – 12 March 1990) was a footballer who played as a forward in England and Wales during the 1920s and 1930s.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Albert Finch Valentine | ||
| Date of birth | 3 June 1907 | ||
| Place of birth | Higher Ince,[1] England | ||
| Date of death | 12 March 1990 (aged 82)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Billinge, Wigan, England | ||
| Playing position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1928?–1929? | Southport | 21 | (17) |
| 1929?–1930 | Cardiff City | 16 | (3) |
| 1931? | Wigan Borough | 12 | (2) |
| 1932? | Chester | 2 | (1) |
| 1932? | Crewe Alexandra | 5 | (2) |
| 1933–1934 | Macclesfield Town | 42 | (70) |
| 1934–1937 | Halifax Town | 114 | (89) |
| 1937 | Stockport County | 0 | (0) |
| 1938 | Accrington Stanley | 7 | (1) |
| 1938 | Doncaster Rovers | 4 | (3) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Early career
He was with Wigan Borough F.C. in 1931, and played for them on 24 October, their last game before resigning from The Football League.[3]
After Wigan he played for Chester and Crewe Alexandra, before joining Macclesfield Town for the 1933/1934 season. In his single season with Macclesfield he scored 82 league and cup goals, and he still holds the Macclesfield record for most goals in a season[4]
Halifax Town
He joined Halifax Town for a fee of £500 from Macclesfield Town, and scored on his league debut for Halifax on 25 August 1934 in the 2–1 victory over Mansfield Town at The Shay. The highpoint of his first season was on 9 March 1936 when bagged 5 goals in the 6–2 home victory over New Brighton. Over the next two seasons he scored 4 goals in a game on 2 occasions, against Oldham Athletic and Rotherham United, and a hat-trick against Hartlepool United. During that first season, success on the field helped the club to make a rare profit totaling £1100. The much needed funds paid off a chunk of their £3500 debts.
Valentine was a prolific striker who still holds the club record for scoring the most league goals in a single season at Halifax Town.[5]
In view of his achievements it was a surprise when Valentine was released from the club in 1937. He played his last game for Halifax on 1 May 1937 in their 4–1 defeat of Crewe Alexandra and in true fashion he signed off with 2 goals.
References
- Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Soccerdata. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
- Dykes, Garth (2011). Wigan Borough in the Football League: A Complete Record and Who's Who 1921–1931. Tony Brown. ISBN 978-1-905891-53-5.
- George Chilvers. "The Wigan Borough Story". Ultimate Wigan Athletic Website. Archived from the original on 5 July 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- "(Players - UV)". Macclesfield Town FC Archives. Macclesfield Town. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- "Halifax Town History". 16 August 2008. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
Further reading
- Meynell, Johnny (2005). The Definitive Halifax Town AFC. Soccer Data. ISBN 1-899468-24-2.
- Thwaites, Tony (1988). From Sandhall to the Shay - An Illustrated History of Halifax Town AFC 1911 - 1918