Players A to Z - (Nelis-Pursell)
NELIS, Patrick
DOB: 5th October 1898
DIED: 22nd April 1970
Other clubs: Londonderry Distillery, Accrington Stanley, Nottingham Forest, Coleraine, Rossville Hall, Derry City
Honours: NORTHERN IRELAND (1 cap), IRISH LEAGUE REPRESENTATIVE (once)
Football League Championship winner 1922 (Nottingham Forest)
Pat was a centre forward who was born in Derry. He is another former International player to represent Boro. His only game for Northern Ireland was against England at the Hawthorns in a Home Championship game which England won 2-0 on 21st October 1922. By then he was playing for Nottingham Forest (who he had joined from Accrington Stanley for a then record fee (for a third tier player) of two thousand pounds) after taking the plunge and moving to England following spells at local Irish junior sides. He had arrived at Accrington in 1920 and was an instant hit at Peel Park scoring 14 goals in only 11 League appearances.
It was such brilliant form that alerted Forest to him and he duly signed in at the City Ground in 1921. He made 59 League appearances and scored 13 goals for Forest before arriving at Springfield Park four years later in 1925. He made his debut on the opening day of season 1925/26 against Ashington at Portland Park on 29th August 1925 in a game that resulted in a 3-3 draw. His Boro record read 1 goal in 16 League appearances and he played once for the Club in the Lancashire Senior Cup, before he returned home to Ireland to start an outstanding career with Coleraine. It was whilst there that he played for the Irish League Representative side.
OAKES, Alfred William
DOB: 22nd July 1901
DIED: 25th December 1967
Other clubs: RAF (Uxbridge), Chesham United, Millwall Athletic, Reading, Rhyl Athletic, Wellington Town, Worcester City, Birmingham City, New Brighton, Frickley Colliery, Stalybridge Celtic
Height and weight: 6 ft., 11st 10 lbs.
Alf was an inside left who was born in Bewdley. After playing Non League football for Chesham United he signed for Millwall Athletic AT the start of the 1923/24 season. He made just 6 appearances and 2 goals before having to wait almost three years for his next Football League appearance. This was for Birmingham City after spells at Reading, Rhyl Athletic and Worcester City. Even then he made just 1 League appearance at St Andrews before a further spell at Rhyl. In 1929 he signed for New Brighton for whom he made 54 League appearances and scored 15 goals during his stay at Rake Lane.
He arrived at Springfield Park for the fateful final season in the Football League and he had all of his 11 League appearances and 4 goals expunged from official records. His goal and game against Oldham Athletic in a Lancashire Senior Cup second round match at Springfield Park also suffered the same fate as his League record with the club. On leaving Springfield Park he drifted into Non League football with Frickley Colliery and Stalybridge Celtic.
ORMSTON, Arthur
DOB: 3rd June 1900
DIED: 13th October 1947
Other clubs: Radcliffe United, South Shields, Chesterfield, Durham City, Coventry City, Barrow, Oldham Athletic, Bradford City, Bristol Rovers, Blyth Spartans, Stalybridge Celtic, Macclesfield Town
Height and weight: 5 ft. 10 ins, 12 st
Arthur was a centre forward who was born in Alnwick. He made his Football League debut for Chesterfield in 1921 after spells at Radcliffe United (Ashington), and his first Football League club, South Shields. He made 22 League appearances at Horsley Hill, scoring 6 goals before being transferred to Durham City in 1922. At Kepier Haughs he made 16 League appearances and scored twice before moving to Coventry City towards the end of season and he made 3 League appearances at Highfield Road before signing for Barrow at the start of the 1923/24 season.
After making 32 League appearances and scoring 10 goals for Barrow, he joined Boro around Christmas time in 1923. He made his first League appearance for the club on 29th March 1924 in a 1-0 defeat at home against Bradford Park Avenue. In a two-year spell at Springfield Park he made 19 League appearances, netting 5 times. He also played once for Boro in the Lancashire Senior Cup and twice in the Manchester Senior Cup, scoring once, before being snapped up by Oldham Athletic. His Boundary Park career consisted of 22 goals in 40 League appearances before he was on the move again, this time to Bradford City in 1926.
He made 14 League appearances at Valley Parade, scoring 4 goals before joining Bristol Rovers in 1927. After making 27 League appearances and scoring 14 goals at Eastville, he returned to Oldham, for whom he made a further 3 League appearances without scoring, before joining the Non League circuit. Three of his known clubs are Blyth Spartans, Stalybridge Celtic and Macclesfield Town.
He certainly packed a lot into his football career, which was just as well really as he died at the very young age of 46.
OXLEY, William
DOB: 4th December 1899
DIED: 1951
Other clubs: Percy Main, Wallsend Athletic, Middlesbrough, Walker Celtic, Rochdale, Manchester City, Southport, Merthyr Town, Northampton Town, Durham City, Darlington, Consett, Carlisle United, Blyth Spartans.
Height and weight: 5 ft. 10 ½ ins, 12 st 6 lbs.
Billy, who was 25 years old during his time at Springfield Park, was a centre forward who was born in Wallsend. He had a startlingly large number of Football League clubs under his belt, but he made less than 50 League appearances for them all, including none at all when he arrived at Springfield Park in August 1927 on a free transfer from Durham City. It seems he had to be content playing his football mainly in the reserves, as he had been at all of his previous clubs.
After playing for Percy Main and Wallsend Athletic, he joined Middlesbrough in 1923, but he failed to make the grade at Ayresome Park. He then dropped into Non League football with Walker Celtic before making his Football League debut for Rochdale in 1924. He made 11 League appearances and scored 4 goals whilst at Spotland before joining Manchester City the following year. Again, he failed to make any impact at a club and after no appearances for the Maine Road side he joined Southport in 1925. Just 11 appearances and 1 goal later he was on the books of Merthyr Town, for whom he made 3 League appearances without scoring at the start of the 1926/27 season
Three more clubs were served by him that season, the last of them being Boro, after he made 3 League appearances, scoring 1 goal for Northampton Town and scoring 15 goals in just 14 League appearances for Durham City. On leaving Springfield Park he joined Darlington in 1928 but made just 1 League appearance and scoring in the game. He had a spell at Consett before finishing his Football League career at Carlisle United, for whom he played once without hitting the net. He ended his career at Blyth Spartans.
PARKER, H
Height and weight: 5ft 11 ins, 10 st
This Preston born inside right player was signed in August 1925. He played in the right half position, but it was for the reserve team, as he failed to make the grade with Boro.
PARRY,
DOB:
Nothing much is known about this player, even his surname, however, he played twice for Boro in the Lancashire Senior Cup. His debut was in a first round replay away against Southport, a game that resulted in a 4-1 victory on 6th September 1921, during which he scored one of the goals. His second and final game for the club was in the next round when Stockport County visited Springfield Park and came away with a 2-2 draw.
PEARSON, Thomas
DOB: 1907
Other clubs: Aspull Amateurs, Skelmersdale United
Aspull born Tommy joined Boro in 1929 from local outfit Aspull Amateurs. He spent most of his Boro days in the reserve team, but the inside right did make 5 League appearances and he scored once. Unfortunately for him 4 of them are expunged from official records due to the club folding. The one League appearance that wasn’t expunged came on 21st April 1930 in a home 2-0 victory over Nelson in the penultimate game of season 1929/30. On leaving Springfield Park he signed for Skelmersdale United in October 1931.
PENDLETON, John James
DOB: 13th January 1894
DIED: 17th February 1939
Other clubs: South Liverpool, Aston Villa, Walsall, Mold, Colwyn Bay United
Height and weight: 5ft 9 ½ ins, 11st 10 lbs.
Jack, who was the understudy for Frank Barson during his time at Aston Villa, could play at right half or centre half and was born in Liverpool. He was spotted by Villa playing for South Liverpool and in 1919 he was plying his trade at Villa Park. However, just 6 League appearances and no goals in almost three years in the Midlands persuaded him to try his luck at Springfield Park. At 26 years old, he made his debut on the opening day of season 1922/23 against Ashington at Springfield Park with Boro running out 6-1 winners. His two-year stint for Boro included 1 goal scored in 39 League appearances. He also played twice in the Lancashire Senior Cup and the Manchester Senior Cup; he also scored twice in 7 FA Cup outings for the club.
He joined his last Football League club, Walsall in the summer of 1924. He made 39 League appearances without scoring for the Saddlers before leaving the English Leagues and playing his trade at Mold for two years from August 1925 and then Colwyn Bay United for whom he signed in August 1927 before hanging up his boots
PHOENIX, Arthur Frederick
DOB: 5th July 1897
DIED: 3rd April 1979
Other clubs: Hadfield, Glossop, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Barnsley, Exeter City, Bath City, Torquay United, Mansfield Town, Racing Club de Paris, Sandbach Ramblers, Shelbourne, Colwyn Bay United, Brierley Hill Alliance
Height and weight: 5 ft. 10 ½ ins. 12 st
‘Ginger’ was born in Patricroft and had a long career in the game that encompassed the Football League, the Non League wilderness and France. Playing at right half or inside right he started his career at Hadfield before moving on to Birmingham City in 1923 from Glossop. He made just 3 League appearances without scoring whilst at St Andrews and he joined bitter rivals Aston Villa the following year. He made 3 League appearances and scored twice for Villa before signing for Barnsley in 1925. His Oakwell career consisted of 4 League appearances and no goals and it was at Exeter City in 1926 that he tasted regular first team football. His St James Park career consisted of 9 goals in 52 League appearances, and it was from here that he joined Boro.
He arrived at Springfield Park at the start of season 1929/30, making his League debut against York City at Springfield Park on 31st August 1929, a game which Boro lost 0-2. He made 25 League appearances without scoring along with 3 Manchester Senior Cup appearances and 1 FA Cup game under his belt, before being off loaded to Bath City.
In 1930 he was playing for Torquay United and whilst at Plainmoor he made 18 League appearances without scoring before finishing his Football League career with Mansfield Town for whom he made 3 League appearances without scoring. It was on leaving Field Mill that he had a spell in France playing for Racing Club de Paris before returning to England to sample the delights of the Sandbach Ramblers. He finished his career after spells with Shelbourne, Colwyn Bay United and Brierley Hill Alliance.
PILKINGTON, J
Pilkington was a right back who hailed from Coppull. He signed amateur forms for the club in the summer of 1922, but he failed to play a first team game for the club.
POTTER, Albert Edward
DOB: 23rd September 1897
DIED: 4th May 1942
Other clubs: Woobury FC, Pinhoe, Exeter City, Colwyn Bay United
Height and weight: 5 ft. 10 ins, 11st 4 lbs.
Devon born left half Albert started his professional career with his home town club, Exeter City in 1923 after being spotted playing for Non League outfit Pinhoe. He stayed at St James’ Park for almost three years and made 89 League appearances and scored 3 goals before arriving at Springfield Park on 3rd August 1927. He made his Boro League debut on 27th August 1927 in a home game against Hartlepools United that was lost 0-2.
He became a stalwart of the side during his two-year spell making 67 League appearances and scoring 3 goals before finishing his football career with Colwyn Bay United. Whilst at Boro he also made 4 appearances in both the Lancashire Senior Cup and the Manchester Senior Cup without scoring as well as playing in 3 FA Cup games including the one played in front of Springfield Park’s highest ever attendance (30,443). He left Springfiedl Park to sign for Colwyn Bay United in July 1929 and he was last heard of plying his trade at the Devon General Bus Company FC, circa 1930.
PREEDY, Charles James Fane
DOB: 11th January 1900
DIED: 28th February 1978
Other clubs: Bostall Heath, Redhill, Charlton Athletic, Arsenal, Bristol Rovers, Luton Town, Margate
Honours, FA Cup Final winner 1930 (Arsenal)
Goalkeeper Charles was born in Neemuch, India, making him the only ‘foreign born’ player to represent the club. After spells at Bostall Heath and Redhill he was signed by Charlton Athletic in 1923. In a five-year stint at the Valley he made 131 League appearances before signing for Boro at the start of the 1928/29 season. His first game for the club was against Lincoln City at Sincil Bank on the opening day of the season and he conceded just once in a 3-1 victory for Boro.
He was a rather eccentric and unorthodox goalkeeper according to local reports and made 41 League appearances, missing only the Wrexham home game during the campaign when his place in the team was taken by Sam Collier.
He also played 5 Lancashire Senior Cup games, 2 Manchester Senior Cup games and he appeared in 3 FA Cup games, his last of which was the famous third round game against Sheffield Wednesday at Springfield Park, before being signed by Arsenal in 1929.
During his three years at Highbury he made he made 37 League appearances before being transferred to Bristol Rovers in 1933. During his first season at Highbury he was the beneficiary of the Gunners’ regular goalkeeper’s bad luck, taking his place for the FA Cup Final from which he received a winner’s medal!
He made 39 League appearances at Eastville before signing for his last Football League club in 1924, Luton Town. After making just 5 League appearances at Kenilworth Road he drifted into Non League football with Margate.
PURSELL, Peter
DOB: 1st July 1894
DIED: 14th August 1968
Other clubs: Campbeltown Academicals, Queens Park, Rangers, Port Vale, Congleton Town, Dordrecht
Honours: SCOTLAND (1 cap),
Anglo Scots v Home Scots international appearance
Scottish League winner 1918 (Rangers)
Glasgow Cup winner (Rangers)
Glasgow Charity Cup winner (Rangers)
Belgian Cup winner (Rangers)
Staffordshire Senior Cup winner 1920 (Port Vale)
North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup winner 1920 and 1922 (Port Vale)
Height and weight: 5ft 10 ins, 11st 10 lbs.
Peter was born in Campbeltown and it was there at Western Highlands League Campbeltown Academicals that he started his career. After a short spell at Queens Park, peter a player at home at centre half or left half, made a dream move to Rangers. It was whilst at Ibrox that he gained his Scottish International cap and he won a Scottish League winners medal in 1918. He received it after playing for Scotland against Wales on 28th February 1914. Whilst at Ibrox he won every Scottish winners honour that it was possible to win, except the Scottish FA Cup winner’s medal.
In 1919 he moved south to join Port Vale and in a five years stint at Vale Park he made 162 League appearances without scoring. His next port of call was Boro. He arrived at Springfield Park in 1924 on a free transfer. He played 35 League games without finding the net. His Boro League debut came on 24th January 1925 against Durham City at Holiday Park in a game that resulted in a 1-1 draw. He played once for Boro in the Lancashire Senior Cup and the FA Cup without scoring, and he also failed to hit the net during 4 Manchester Senior Cup games. He succeeded Boro's first ever first team trainer Joe Rimmer at the end of season 1924/25.
He later started a managerial career with Congleton Town after spending a season at Springfield Park as the first team coach, before embarking in a similar role with Dordrecht in Holland.
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