Dave Ridley

David George Henry Ridley (16 December 1916 – 13 September 1998), known as Dave or Dai Ridley, was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion.[1]

Dave Ridley
Personal information
Full name David George Henry Ridley[1]
Date of birth (1916-12-16)16 December 1916[1]
Place of birth Pontypridd,[1] Wales
Date of death 13 September 1998(1998-09-13) (aged 81)[1]
Place of death Pontypridd,[1] Wales
Playing position(s) Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
194?–1945 Bedford Town 0 (0)
1945–1946 Millwall 0 (0)
1946–1947 Brighton & Hove Albion 5 (0)
1947–1948 Bedford Town 15 (4)
1948–19?? Merthyr Tydfil
Ton Pentre
Pembroke Borough
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Ridley was born in Pontypridd, Wales, in 1916. He played local football before signing for Millwall in early 1945. He played for them in the 1945–46 FA Cup, and scored once,[2] but moved on at the end of the season to Brighton & Hove Albion for a £400 fee.[3] He suffered knee cartilage problems during his season at Brighton, and made only five appearances in the Third Division South.[3] He then decided to give up full-time football, and signed for Southern League club Bedford Town,[4] where he spent a 1947–48 season again disrupted by injury.[5] Playing alongside his brother Frank, Ridley scored 12 goals from 22 appearances in all competitions, which included 5 of Bedford's 7 in the FA Cup against Eynesbury Rovers.[6] He then returned to Wales where he played for Merthyr Tydfil, Ton Pentre and Pembroke Borough and worked in a power station.[6][3] Ridley died in Pontypridd in 1998 at the age of 81.[1]

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References
  1. "Dave Ridley". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  2. Rollin, Jack (2005). Soccer at War 1939–45. London: Headline. p. 372. ISBN 978-0-7553-1431-7.
  3. Carder, Tim; Harris, Roger (1997). Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Hove: Goldstone Books. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-9521337-1-1.
  4. "Why they signed". Bedfordshire Times. 15 August 1947. p. 7. Ronald Palmer, formerly of the Spurs, and Dai Ridley, centre-forward for Brighton last season, have an eye to the future and have decided to give up full-time professional football in favour of a job and part-time football. That is why the Eagles were able to sign them.
  5. "Dai Ridley in". Bedfordshire Times. 16 January 1948. p. 7. After a long absence from the first team because of injury and later because of uncertainty as to his fitness, Dai Ridley, the former Brighton leader, returns at centre-forward for the Eagles.
  6. "Players' Lists, 1945–50" and "Season 1947/48". Bedford Old Eagles. David Williams. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
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