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Players Index Page Last Updated
12 August 2025
 
 

Horace Colclough

Crystal Palace FC

 1 appearance, 0 goals

P 1 W 1 D 0 L 0 F 2: A 0
100% successful
1914

captain: none
minutes played: 90

Timeline
  Corporal Albert Horace Colclough
Birth Saturday, 3 November 1888 in Oxford, near Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
  registered in Wolstanton October-December 1888
Baptism Sunday, 30 June 1889 at St. Peter's Church, Stoke-on-Trent
  According to the 1891 census, Albert Horace is the second of two children to Albert and Elizabeth (née Appleby). His father is an artist on chinaware, his mother is a dressmaker. They live at Oxford in the Wolstanston area of Stoke, also with his grandmother, May Appleby.
 

According to the 1901 census, Albert H. now has another two younger siblings, and with his parents and his grandmother, they live at 49 Station Road in Cheadle, Stoke. His father is a potters painter.
 

According to the 1911 census, Albert is a pottery presser, living at 38 Bright Street in Meir, near Longton in Stoke. He has three more younger siblings, making him one of seven. They live with their parents and his grandmother. The census reveals that there were eight children, and that one died.
Marriage to Ethel Taylor, in late 1914 in Leek.
  registered in Leek October-December 1914

568426		 According to his war records, Albert H. reached the rank of Corporal, serving with the Royal Engineers. He was enlisted on 12 May 1915, and discharged on 11 July 1918 because he was no longer physically fit for war (XVI).
According to the 1921 census, Albert Horace, an athletic instructor, is now married to Ethel, and they both live at Park School Cottage in Beaulieu.
"THE MISSING YEARS OF HARRY COLCLOUGH [Excerpt]
"...The history of the missing years is a long one. Suffice it to say that Horace had spent several years in hospitals being 'repaired' by 32 operations before being helped to a position abroad as a tea planter. He had made good, married an English lady and retired, settling in a lovely house at New Milton. He is now some 14½ stones in weight and has a pronounced limp. But for all that he is exceedingly fit and is one one the leading rink bowlers for New Milton in the Hampshire League." - Crewe Chronicle, Saturday, 13 January 1962
  According to the 1939 register, Albert H. a textiles salesman, and Ethel, a schoolteacher, are still married, living at Tadburn, on Jermyns Lane in Romsey & Stockbridge.
According to the British Phone Books, from 1961 until the 1967, A.H. was living at Flat 28 of Bouverie Close in New Milton, east of Bournemouth. From the 1971 until 1976, he was living back in Stoke, at 32 Barnfield, in Penkhull.
Death Tuesday, 25 May 1976 at his home at 5 Ashley Road, New Milton, Hampshire.
aged 87 years 204 days registered in Bournemouth April-June 1976
"COLCLOUGH.—On May 25th, 1976, Horace Colclough, of 5, Ashley Road, New Milton, brother of Wilfred Colclough and member of the New Milton Bowling Club....
Funeral "....Cremation Bournemouth, Wednesday, June 2nd, at 3.30 p.m." - New Milton Advertiser,
Probate "COLCLOUGH Albert Horace of 5 Ashley Rd New Milton Hants died 25 May 1976 Probate Winchester 9 July. £1995. 763309927X" [2025 equivalent: £13,523]
  His wife, Ethel, died in Bournemouth in late 1977
Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], his great niece, Nerys Colclough &

Playing Career

Club(s)		 Played junior football until he joined Crewe Alexandra FC after a successful trial in August 1910. Joined Crystal Palace FC in June 1912. Retired through injury during the war.
"Horace Colclough, the Crystal Palace and International full-back, who injured himself at football when stationed at Norwich, has been discharged from the Army. It is not expected that he will be able to play again." - Green 'un, Saturday, 10 August 1918.
Club honours None
Individual honours Southern League (three appearances)
Distinctions Was farely useful on the bowling green in New Milton in the 1950's.
Height/Weight 5' 8", 11st. 5lbs [1912].
Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

England Career
Player number One of three who became the 379th players (379) to appear for England.
 The fortieth Staffordshire-born player.
Position(s) Left-back
Only match No. 118, 16 March 1914, Wales 0 England 2, a British Championship match at Ninian Park, Sloper Road, Cardiff, aged 25 years 133 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1913-14;
Team honours None
Individual honours None
Distinctions None

Beyond England
Attained international rank in his second first-class season, Crewe Alexandra FC was not in the Football League in 1914. So his was a rapid rise. A great pity about the Great War injury - he would have been 30 at the time of Palace's 1921 promotion. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.70.


The Numbers
parties Appearances comp. apps minutes captain
1 1 1 90 0 none
The minutes here given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an approximation.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2 0 100 +1
his only match was played in the British Championship competition, at an away venue and against Wales

Tournament Record

British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1913-14 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC All 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2 0 100 +1

Match History

 Club: Crystal Palace F.C. - one full appearance (90 min) F.A. International Select Committee - one full appearance (90 min)x

apps match match details comp res. rundown pos

Age 25
1 118 16 March 1914 - Wales 0 England 2
Ninian Park, Cardiff		 BC AW   lb
 

one of three who became the 379th player (379) to appear for England
the first Crystal Palace FC player to represent England

 

 
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