Albert Beech (24 September 1912 – 20 June 1985) was an English footballer who played as a defender for Port Vale, Altrincham, Huddersfield Town, Notts County, and Northwich Victoria. He played in the First Division with Huddersfield and won the Cheshire Senior Cup with Altrincham.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Albert Beech[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 24 September 1912[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Fenton, Staffordshire, England[1] | ||
| Date of death | 20 June 1985 (aged 72)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, England[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Leek Alexandra | |||
| Stoke St.Peter's | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1930–1933 | Port Vale | 1 | (0) |
| 1933–1934 | Altrincham | 35 | (14) |
| 1934–1937 | Huddersfield Town | 22 | (4) |
| 1937–1938 | Notts County | 13 | (0) |
| 1938–1939 | Northwich Victoria | ||
| Total | 71 | (17) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early and personal life
editAlbert Beech was born on 24 September 1912 in Fenton, Staffordshire; he married and later died in Fenton.[3]
Career
editBefore joining Port Vale in November 1930, Beech played for Leek Alexandra and Stoke St. Peter's.[1] He turned professional in September 1931. He made his only appearance for the club in a 2–1 home defeat to Manchester United on 28 November 1931.[1] He left on a free transfer in May 1933 and moved on to Altrincham.[1] He was the club's top-scorer in the 1933–34 campaign, scoring 24 goals in 49 games, including a hat-trick against Crewe Alexandra Reserves in a 6–2 win on 2 December.[3] He won the Cheshire Senior Cup with the club, as Altrincham beat Congleton Town 1–0 in the final at Edgeley Park.[3] Having proven himself in the Cheshire County League, he was signed by First Division club Huddersfield Town in June 1934, alongside left-back James Taylor.[3] He played three matches in the 1934–35 campaign.[3] He scored four goals in sixteen games during the 1935–36 season, with his first goal in the Football League coming on 14 April in a 1–1 draw with Portsmouth.[3] He featured just three times in the 1936–37 season, his final appearance coming in a 5–0 defeat at Middlesbrough on 27 February.[3] He was sold on to Notts County for a £1,000 fee in June 1937.[3] He played thirteen Third Division South matches in the 1937–38 season.[3] He then returned to Fenton and played for Northwich Victoria before World War II ended his professional career at the age of 27.[3]
Career statistics
edit| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Port Vale | 1931–32 | Second Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Altrincham | 1933–34 | Cheshire County League | 35 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 49 | 24 |
| Huddersfield Town | 1934–35 | First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1935–36 | First Division | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 | |
| 1936–37 | First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 4 | ||
| Notts County | 1937–38 | Third Division South | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Career total | 71 | 18 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 83 | 28 | ||
Honours
editAltrincham
- Cheshire Senior Cup: 1934[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 22. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ Albert Beech's profile at Altrincham FC's Official Web Site
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Altrincham FC Legends". www.lusoweb.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ Albert Beech at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)