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5 December 2024
 
 

Harry Hadley

West Bromwich Albion FC

 1 appearance, 0 goals

P 1 W 1 D 0 L 0 F 4: A 0
100% successful
1903

captain: none
minutes played: 90

Timeline
  Harry Hadley
Birth Friday, 26 October 1877 in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire
  registered in Barrow-in-Furness October-December 1877
 

According to the 1881 census, Harry is living with his grandfather and grandmother, Thomas and Hannah (née Saddler), in Queen Street, Halesowen. His grandparents are nail forgers.
His parents were William and Martha Ann (née Smith).
 

According to the 1891 census, Harry, a button maker, is one of two grandsons living with their widower grandfather, Thomas, in Queen Street in Halesowen.

Marriage to Emma Barrett
  registered in Stourbridge January-March 1898
Children Harry and Emma Hadley had had five children together. Edith May (b.April 1898), Leslie George (b.March 1903), Frederick Harry (b.June 1906), Howard (b.July 1910) and Ronald H. (b.17 April 1916).
 

According to the 1901 census, Harry is now married to Emma and they have a daughter, Edith. They still live at Queen Street and Thomas, his grandfather, is living with them. Harry is a Horn button makerpresser.

According to the 1911 census, Harry is now a publican, still married, with two more children, two sons, Leslie and Harry. They live at The Woodman Inn on Bromsgrove Road, Halesowen.
Evidentially, by use of the following census, Howard should be on this census, he is not, and nor is he tallied in (i.e they have had three children, not four).
"ASSAULT ON POLICE ...—James Johnson, of no fixed abode, was charged with assaulting Police-constable Cowell, and also Harry Hadley, landlord of the Woodman Inn, and also with being drunk and disorderly.—Police-constable Cowell said that on the night of the 18th inst. he saw defendant enter the Woodman Inn drunk. He followed him in, and he found that he had someone's beer in his hand. He refused to leave, and when outside became very violent and kicked witness, slipped the handcuffs, and broke his whistle chain.—Henry Hadly said he refused to serve prisoner, and when outside he caught him by the throat and kicked him.—Defendant pleaded guilty, and said he was sorry.—Altogether he was fined 37s. 6d., but went to prisoner for five weeks in default of payment." - Bromsgrove,  Droitwich & Redditch Weekly Messenger, Saturday, 29 July 1911.
 

His grandfather died in early 1915.
According to the 1921 census, Harry is the manager of Merthyr Tydfil AFC, and is still married, and they have two more sons, Howard and Ronald. Along with their two older brothers and their married older sister (Edith is married to Thomas Bishton, a trainer at the football club and they have a daughter, Hilda May), they all live at 5 Russell Terrace in Merthyr.
His grandmother died in early 1925.
"FOOTBALLER'S PREDICAMENT ...Harry Hadley, of Halesowen, was examined in bankruptcy yesterday before the Merthyr registrar (Mr. Charles Kenshole). Aged 47, and living at Russell-terrace, Merthyr, debtor, represented by Mr. Ivor M. Cule, Merthyr, lodged a statement of affairs showing a deficiency of £235. He stated that his career as a professional footballer came to a close in 1912 and there followed a period during which he was engaged in various engineering works near Halesowen, in the Midlands. In 1919 he was appointed manager of the Merthyr Town Football Club at a wage of £6 a week, rising in three years to £7. He resigned that position in October, 1921, owing, he said, to a difference of opinion between himself and a section of the board of directors. Out of work until May, 1922, he then secured the managership of the Chesterfield Football Club, but he only remained there up to August of the same year. He started business as a sports outfitter at Pontmoriais, Merthyr, in February, 1924, but his venture had never shown a profit. The cause of his failure were lack of capital and trade depression, and he often disposed of his stock below cost price 'in order to get something to eat.'
  The examination was closed." - Western Mail, Friday, 27 March 1925
 

According to the 1939 census, Harry, still a football manager, and Emma are living at 2 Tydfils Terrace in The Quar, Merthyr Tydfil, along with their baker son, Ronald.
Emma died in Merthyr Tydfil in the middle of 1942
  "Harry Hadley, of Tydfil-terrace, The Quar, Merthyr, said that on December 7 he saw [Leonard Lionel] Bailey, who told him he was selling the flowers on behalf of the Red Cross and Merthyr General Hospital." - Merthyr Express, Saturday, 16 December 1944
Death Wednesday, 22 October 1947, in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey
aged 69 years 361 days registered in Surrey NE October-December 1947
Death notes 'The late manager, Mr Harry Hadley' - 27 October & 22 December 1951
Cannot be 6 June 1942 in Halesowen... that Harry Hadley was 58 years old (b.10 October 1883) and his widow was called Jane.
Cannot be 3 October 1942, this one was a 67 year old retired schoolmaster in West Bromwich, another was 85 in Birmingham.
Cannot be 27 September 1944 in Halesowen, this was a Sidney Harry, who had been homeless, and imprisoned for child-neglect. All three are ruled out for the very reason of the above newspaper report.
Death Monday, 27 October 1947, at Kingston Cemetery in Kingston upon Thames, in the same grave as Thomas Bishton, his son-in-law

Source

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

Playing Career

Club(s)		 Began his football career with Colley Gate United FC, Joined Halesowen FC in the Birmingham League during the 1895-96 season as a sixteen year old. West Bromwich Albion FC signed Hadley in February 1897, and was made a club captain for the 1903-04 season. Negotiations to transfer Hadley to Aston Villa FC broke down in January 1905, but was agreed upon the following month, once the directors were assured on his leg injury. However, he was injured playing in a Charity Cup match in the May. He then joined Nottingham Forest FC on 24 March 1906. Southampton FC then signed Hadley on 17 May 1907. In 1908, Hadley turned out for Croydon Common FC, making 21 appearances, scoring once; Halesowen re-signed Hadley in February 1910.

League honours
190 appearances 3 goals		 West Bromwich Albion FC 1898-1905 167 appearances, two goals
debut: 19 March 1898 Notts County FC 2 West Bromwich Albion FC 2.
Aston Villa FC 1905-06 eleven appearances
debut: 11 November 1905 Preston North End FC 2 Aston Villa FC 0.
Nottingham Forest FC 1906-07 twelve appearances, one goal
debut: 2 April 1906 Woolwich Arsenal FC 3 Nottingham Forest FC 1.
last (division two): 5 January 1907 Burslem Port Vale FC 4 Nottingham Forest FC 2.
Club honours Football League Division Two winners 1901-02 (31ᵃ 1ᵍ), 1906-07 (5ᵃ 1ᵍ);
Individual honours Birmingham League
Distinctions Nephew of Benjamin (West Bromwich Albion FC 1892-96)
Height/Weight 5' 10", 12st. 7lbs [1907].

Source

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

Management Career
Club(s)


 Well known as a secretary-manager during the inter-war period, having four spells as Merthyr Town FC's manager between 26 May 1919 and September 1931 (finally from 13 September 1930). After first resigning in 1921, he was appointed managed at Chesterfield FC on 8 April 1922, only to resign from there on 24 August. Accrington Stanley FC on 3 November 1924. Aberdare Athletic FC 30 October 1927-April 1929. Gillingham FC April 1929....
"Mr. Harry Hadley, of Merthyr, states that he intends taking legal action for alleged breach of contract against an English League (Third Division) club, for the secretary-managership of which he was an applicant at the end of last season. Mr. Hadley says that his application was successful, but the club afterwards intimated that the appointment could not be confirmed owing to unforeseen circumstances. He has since been in correspondence with the Football League." - Western Mail & South Wales News, Monday, 22 July 1929.
and Bangor City FC 4 August 1935 until his retirement in 1936.
League History Football League best Division Three (South) eighth place 1920-21;
Club honours Welsh Football League winners 1930-31

England Career
Player number One of seven who became the 278th player (280) to appear for England.
Position(s) Left-half
Only match No. 77, 14 February 1903, England 4 Ireland 0, a British Championship match at Molineux, Waterloo Road North, St. Peter's, Wolverhampton, aged 25 years 111 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1902-03;
Team honours British Championship shared 1902-03;
Individual honours None
Distinctions By 1998, his grandson, Ronald, was in possession of his actual England cap.

Beyond England
A button maker by trade. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.114.


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 4 0 +4 0 1 4 0 100 +1
His only match was at a home venue and in the British Championship competition

Tournament Record

British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1902-03 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 0 1 4.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC All 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 0 1 4.00 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 4 0 +4 0 1 4.00 0.00 100.0 +1
1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 0 1 4 0 100 +1

Match History

 Club: West Bromwich Albion 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 77 14 February 1903 - England 4 Ireland 0
Molineux, Wolverhampton		 BC HW   lh
 

one of seven who became the 278th player (280) to appear for England
the twelfth West Bromwich Albion FC player to represent England

  

 
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