Harry Adams (footballer)

Harry Adams (1855 – 13 July 1910) was an England-born Welsh footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Druids during their FA Cup run in 1882–83 and made four international appearances for Wales.

Harry Adams
Personal information
Full name Harry Adams
Date of birth 1855
Place of birth Crick, England
Date of death (1910-07-13)13 July 1910 (aged 54)
Place of death Ellesmere, England
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1879–1882 Berwyn Rangers
1882–1883 Druids
1883–1895 Ellesmere
National team
1882–1883 Wales 4 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Adams was born in Crick, Northamptonshire in England of Welsh parents, but returned to Llangollen in Wales where he worked as a plumber.[1]

He started his football career with local side, Berwyn Rangers, in 1879 and was first selected to represent Wales in a friendly match against Ireland at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham on 25 February 1882. The Welsh won the match 7–1, with John Price scoring four goals.[2] Adams retained his place for the next match, against England, when the Welsh were again victorious by a margin of five goals to three.[3]

His success with the Welsh team drew him to the attention of Druids (based in Ruabon), then one of the top teams in Wales, whom he joined in 1882.[1] Druids entered the English FA Cup for the third time defeating local rivals, Oswestry Town and Northwich Victoria in the first two rounds, before meeting Bolton Wanderers in the Third Round. After two drawn matches, Druids won the second replay 1–0 and, after defeating Eagley in the next round, met Blackburn Olympic in the quarter-finals. Olympic won the match 4–1 and went on to win the cup in the Final a month later.[4]

Druids were also dominating the Welsh Cup and, after victories over Chirk (3–2), Dolgellau Mountaineers (12–1), Aberystwyth Town (4–1), they met Adams' former club, Berwyn Rangers, in the Fourth Round, winning 5–2. After a semi-final victory over Northwich Victoria (3–0), Druids met Wrexham in the final.[5] In the final itself, played at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground on 21 April 1883, the home side won 1–0, with the goal coming from Bill Roberts.[6]

During his one season with Druids, Adams made two further international appearances, against England on 3 February 1883 (lost 5–0) and Ireland on 17 March (drawn 1–1).

In the summer of 1883, he moved to Ellesmere across the border in Shropshire where his parents were now living. Playing for the local town side, he dropped out of favour and was never selected for Wales again.[1] He continued to play for Ellesmere until his early 40s.

Life outside football

Adams remained in Ellesmere for the rest of his life and established his own plumbing business, which at one point also embraced painting, glazing, signwriting and embossing and gilding on glass;[7] he was also a keen bandsman and rifleman,[1] serving in the local (H) company of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry's 2nd Volunteer Battalion, in which he was bandmaster.[8][9] He was also a member of the National Conservative League's Cyclist Corps, which assisted at elections as late as the 1906 General Election in his area. He died at Watergate Street, Ellesmere, aged 54, months after a serious operation, and was buried in Ellesmere Cemetery.[8]

International appearances

Adams made four appearances for Wales as follows:[10]

DateVenueOpponentResult[11]GoalsCompetition
25 February 1882Racecourse Ground, Wrexham Ireland7–10Friendly
13 March 1882Racecourse Ground, Wrexham England5–30Friendly
3 February 1883Kennington Oval, London England0–50Friendly
17 March 1883Ulster Ground, Belfast Ireland1–10Friendly
Win Draw Loss

Honours

Druids

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References
  1. Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Bridge Books. p. 11. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.
  2. "Wales 7 Ireland 1". Welsh international matches. Welsh Football Data Archive. 25 February 1882. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  3. "Wales 5 England 3". Welsh international matches. Welsh Football Data Archive. 13 March 1882. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  4. Collett, Mike (2003). The Complete Record of the FA Cup. Sports Books. p. 279. ISBN 1-899807-19-5.
  5. "Welsh Cup 1882–83". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  6. "Wrexham 1 Druids 0". Welsh Cup Finals. Welsh Football Data Archive. 21 April 1883. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  7. Kelly's Directory of Shropshire, 1885. Kelly's. p. 85.
  8. "Death of Mr. Harry Adams". Shrewsbury Chronicle. 22 July 1910. p. 11.
  9. Kelly's Directory of Shropshire, 1895. Kelly's. p. 87.Unit identified through cross research with Shrewsbury Chronicle obituary, which mentioned his winning the company shooting cup in 1895.
  10. Samuel, Bill (2009). The Complete Wales FC 1876–2008. Soccer Books. pp. 6–7. ISBN 1-86223-176-1.
  11. Wales score first
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