John Astley (3 December 1909 – 8 November 1984) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Southport, Brentford and Coventry City as a right back.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Astley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 3 December 1909 | ||
| Place of birth | Warrington, England | ||
| Date of death | 8 November 1984 (aged 74)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Whitley, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9+1⁄2 in (1.77 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Right back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| St. Elfin's Parish Church | |||
| Chadwick Recreation | |||
| Warrington Bedouins | |||
| Elmwood Avenue Methodists | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1930–1933 | Southport | 2 | (0) |
| 1932–1933 | → Shelbourne (loan) | ||
| 1933–1936 | Brentford | 49 | (0) |
| 1936–1942 | Coventry City | 140 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| League of Ireland XI | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
editEarly years
editA right back, Astley began his career in his native north west,[4] playing for a number of amateur clubs before joining Third Division North club Southport in 1930.[2] He made just two appearances for the club before joining League of Ireland club Shelbourne on loan for the 1932–33 season.[2] He left Southport at the end of the 1932–33 season.[2]
Brentford
editAstley transferred to Second Division club Brentford in May 1933.[5] He went straight into the team and made 41 appearances during the 1933–34 season, in which the Bees finished fourth in the Second Division.[6] The arrival of full backs Arthur Bateman and George Poyser during the 1934 off-season and an injury saw Astley lose his place in the team and he made just one appearance during the 1934–35 season,[2] in which Brentford secured promotion to the First Division as champions.[6] He instead played for the reserves and won the 1935 London Challenge Cup with the team.[7] Astley managed to make eight appearances in the First Division during the first half of the 1935–36 season,[6] before departing Griffin Park in February 1936.[5] Astley made 50 appearances for Brentford.[5]
Coventry City
editAstley joined Third Division South high-flyers Coventry City in February 1936.[5] He made 14 appearances in what remained of the 1935–36 season and helped the Sky Blues to the Third Division South title.[8] Astley displaced Vic Brown from the team and with former Brentford teammate Walter Metcalf on the other flank at full back, he was an ever-present until professional football was suspended in 1939 upon to the outbreak of the Second World War.[5] He made 148 appearances for the Sky Blues and guested for Nottingham Forest during the war.[8][9]
Representative career
editWhile with Shelbourne, Astley played for the League of Ireland representative team against their Welsh League counterparts.[5]
Personal life
editAstley served in the British Army during and after the Second World War and rose to the rank of captain.[2] He married his wife, an Estonian, during 5+1⁄2-years stationed in Germany.[2] Astley settled in Coventry in 1950 and began working for the General Electric Company, retiring in 1974.[2] He died of a heart attack in Whitley Hospital in November 1984.[2]
Career statistics
edit| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Southport | 1931–32[2] | Third Division North | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Brentford | 1933–34[6] | Second Division | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| 1934–35[6] | Second Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1935–36[6] | First Division | 8 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 49 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 0 | ||
| Coventry City | 1935–36[8] | Third Division South | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 1936–37[8] | Second Division | 42 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| 1937–38[8] | Second Division | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| 1938–39[8] | Second Division | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| Total | 140 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 148 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 191 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 200 | 0 | ||
Honours
editBrentford Reserves
Coventry City
References
edit- ^ a b Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 12. ISBN 978-1905891610.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Jack Astley (Player Profile)". Southport Central. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ "Coventry City. Good halves but a weakness in defence". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. vi – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Astley Jack Coventry City 1937". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 13. ISBN 978-0955294914.
- ^ a b c d e f White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 372–373. ISBN 0951526200.
- ^ a b Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. p. 82. ISBN 1-874427-57-7.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Jack Astley". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- ^ "Jack Astley". The City Ground. Retrieved 17 July 2019.