Albert Pearson (footballer)

Albert Victor Pearson (6 September 1892 – 24 January 1975) was an English footballer who played as a forward for Sheffield United, Port Vale, Liverpool, Llanelli, Rochdale, Stockport County and Ashton National Gas. His son-in-law, George Heppell, and great-great-grandson, Tom Conlon, also played for Port Vale.

Albert Pearson
Personal information
Full name Albert Victor Pearson[1]
Date of birth (1892-09-02)2 September 1892[1]
Place of birth Tynemouth, England[1]
Date of death 24 January 1975(1975-01-24) (aged 82)[1]
Place of death Newcastle-under-Lyme, England[1]
Height 5 ft 9+12 in (1.77 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1910–1912 Hebburn Argyle
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1912–1914 Sheffield United 6 (0)
1914–1919 Port Vale 31 (14)
1919–1921 Liverpool 44 (4)
1921–1922 Port Vale 19 (1)
1922–1923 Llanelly
1923–1925 Rochdale 52 (12)
1925–1929 Stockport County 69 (6)
Ashton National Gas
Total 221+ (37+)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

edit

Pearson played for Hebburn Argyle and Sheffield United before joining Port Vale in the summer of 1914.[1] He was a first-team regular during the war years and was a member of the side that won the North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup in 1915.[1] The club went into abeyance due to war concerns during the 1915–16 and 1916–17 seasons, but he continued his first-team duties at The Old Recreation Ground upon the club's re-forming.[1] He was sold to First Division side Liverpool in January 1919; however, Sheffield received some of the fee as they claimed he was still on their books, despite him leaving them five years previous.[1] He missed only nine games in his second season for the "Reds", but fell out of favour at Anfield the next season.[3] He went back to Port Vale in May 1921. He regained his first-team place and played 19 Second Division games before he picked up an injury in February 1922 and was released at the end of the season.[1] He moved on to Llanelli, Rochdale, Stockport County and Ashton National Gas.[1]

Personal life

edit

His son-in-law, George Heppell, played for Port Vale between 1937 and 1952, whilst his great-great-grandson, Tom Conlon, joined the club in 2018.[4]

Career statistics

edit

Source:[5]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sheffield United 1912–13 First Division 5 0 0 0 5 0
1913–14 First Division 1 0 0 0 1 0
Total 6 0 0 0 6 0
Port Vale 1914–15 Central League 31 14 3 0 34 14
Liverpool 1919–20 First Division 34 4 5 0 39 4
1920–21 First Division 10 0 3 0 13 0
Total 44 4 8 0 52 4
Port Vale 1921–22 Second Division 19 1 1 0 20 1
Rochdale 1923–24 Third Division North 34 7 2 0 36 7
1924–25 Third Division North 11 3 2 0 13 3
1925–26 Third Division North 7 2 0 0 7 2
Total 52 12 4 0 56 12
Stockport County 1925–26 Second Division 11 2 0 0 11 2
1926–27 Third Division North 25 3 1 0 26 3
1927–28 Third Division North 20 1 2 1 22 2
1928–29 Third Division North 13 0 0 0 13 0
Total 69 6 3 1 72 7
Total 221 37 19 1 240 38

Honours

edit

Port Vale

  • North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup: 1915

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 227. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ^ "Optimists of the North. Rochdale". Athletic News. Manchester. 6 August 1923. p. 6.
  3. ^ "Albert Pearson Profile". LFCHistory.net. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  4. ^ Baggaley, Michael (16 March 2020). "Tom Conlon on family pride and his Port Vale history". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  5. ^ Albert Pearson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)