Albert Groves (footballer, born 1886)

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For the English full back who played for Lincoln City, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, see Albert Groves (footballer, born 1883).

Albert Groves
Personal information
Full name Albert Groves
Date of birth January 1886[1]
Place of birth Newport, Wales[1]
Date of death 1960 (aged 73–74)[1]
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1]
Position(s) Centre-half[1]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1908–1909 Aberdare Athletic
1909–1920 Wolverhampton Wanderers 200 (18)
1920–1924 Walsall 79 (15)
Willenhall
Total 279 (33)
Managerial career
1920–1921 Walsall (player-manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Albert Groves (January 1886 – 1960) was a Welsh footballer and manager. A centre-half, he played for Aberdare Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Walsall, and Willenhall. He served Walsall as player-manager in the 1920–21 season.

Career[edit]

Born at Newport in January 1886, Groves began his career as a forward, playing for Aberdare Athletic.[2][3] He signed with Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 1909.[1] He made his Second Division debut at Molineux on the last day of the 1909–10 season, in a 3–2 win over Manchester City.[1] Wanderers went on to finish ninth in 1910–11 and fifth in 1911–12, before Groves scored 10 league goals to help the club to a tenth-place finish in 1912–13.[1] Over time, he was converted into a centre half and the club went on to finish ninth in 1913–14 and fourth in 1914–15,[2] before World War I temporarily put a halt to the Football League.[1] During the war he guested for Port Vale in October 1916, scoring three goals in 23 games before moving on to Bury and Sunbeam Motor Works (Coventry).[4] Groves also guested for Stoke in 1915–16.[5] After returning to "Wolves" after the war, he helped the club to a 19th-place finish in 1919–20.[1] He was then appointed player-manager at Birmingham League club Walsall, before he was replaced by Joe Burchell.[1] He remained on at Fellows Park as player-secretary, and scored eight goals in 36 games in 1921–22, as the club became founder members of the Third Division North.[1] He continued to turn out for the "Saddlers" in 1922–23 and 1923–24, racking up 79 League, 12 FA Cup and 33 other senior appearances, scoring 15 goals.[1] A serious knee injury led Groves to end his playing days at Willenhall and after retiring from football he ran the Hope and Anchor public house in Willenhall.[2][1]

Career statistics[edit]

Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1909–10[6] Second Division 1 0 0 0 1 0
1910–11[6] Second Division 38 0 3 0 41 0
1911–12[6] Second Division 37 0 4 1 41 1
1912–13[6] Second Division 37 10 2 0 39 10
1913–14[6] Second Division 31 3 3 1 34 4
1914–15[7] Second Division 31 1 2 0 33 1
1919–20[6] Second Division 25 4 3 0 29 4
Total 200 18 17 2 217 20
Walsall 1921–22[6] Third Division North 36 8 6 1 42 9
1922–23[6] Third Division North 15 3 2 0 17 3
1923–24[6] Third Division North 28 4 2 0 30 4
Total 79 15 10 1 89 16
Career total 279 33 27 3 306 36

Honours[edit]

Aberdare Athletic

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Profile". thewolvessite.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Walsall | Club | Past Managers | PAST MANAGERS". Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Groves Albert Image 1 Walsall 1922". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  4. ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 121. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  5. ^ Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Albert Groves at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  7. ^ "Wolverhampton Wanderers Squad 1914/15". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
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