Albert Fairclough

Albert Fairclough
Personal information
Full name	Albert Fairclough[1]
Date of birth	4 October 1891
Place of birth	St Helens, England
Date of death	5 November 1958 (aged 67)[2]
Place of death	Stockport, England
Height	5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (1.71 m)[3]
Position(s)	Centre forward
Senior career*
Years	Team
1909–1910	Windle Villa
1910–1911	St Helens Town
1911–1912	St Helens Recreation
1912–1913	Eccles Borough
1913–1919	Manchester City
1920–1921	Southend United
1921–1924	Bristol City
1924–1927	Derby County
1927	Gillingham
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Albert Fairclough (4 October 1891 – 5 November 1958), sometimes known as Fairy Fairclough, was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Bristol City, Derby County, Southend United, Gillingham and Manchester City.[1]

Career

A centre forward, Fairclough began his career in non-league football, before he and his brother Peter transferred to First Division club Manchester City in March 1913.[4] The First World War hampered Fairclough's career at Hyde Road, though he top-scored for the club's reserve team in the 1913–14, 1914–15 and 1919–20 seasons.[2] He made just five first team appearances for City, scoring one goal.[5] In May 1920, Fairclough dropped down to the Third Division to join Southend United and earned the distinction of scoring the club's first Football League goal.[4][6] He subsequently played in all three divisions of the Football League and scored 88 goals in 163 league appearances for Southend United, Bristol City, Derby County and Gillingham,[1] before retiring at the end of the 1926–27 season.[4]

Fairclough was the older brother of footballer Peter Fairclough.[2] In October 1915, 14 months after the outbreak of the First World War, Fairclough enlisted in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.[7] He was later appointed a lance corporal and saw action on the Western Front, Salonika and Egypt.[7]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Manchester City	1913–14[5]	First Division	2	1	0	0	2	1
	1914–15[5]		1	0	0	0	1	0
	1919–20[5]		2	0	0	0	2	0
	Total		5	1	0	0	5	1
Southend United	1920–21[10]	Third Division	24	15	2	0	26	15
Derby County	1924–25[11]	Second Division	32	22	0	0	32	22
	1925–26[11]	Second Division	2	2	0	0	2	2
	1926–27[11]	First Division	3	2	0	0	3	2
	Total		37	26	0	0	37	26
Gillingham	1926–27[12]	Third Division South	11	3	—		11	3
Career total			77	45	2	0	79	45

Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 95. ISBN 978-1905891610.
Matthews, Tony (21 November 2013). Manchester City: Player by Player. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445617374.
"The lure of promotion. Bristol City". Athletic News. Manchester. 13 August 1923. p. 6.
"Fairclough Albert Manchester City 1919". vintagefootballers.com. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
"Albert Fairclough - Manchester City Player Statistics - StatCity". www.statcity.co.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
"History – Southend United". www.southendunited.co.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
"Albert Fairclough | Service Record | Football and the First World War". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
Woods, David; Edwards, Leigh (1997). Bristol City Football Club: The First 100 Years. Redcliffe Press. ISBN 1-900178-26-5.
Woods, David (1994). The Bristol Babe: The First 100 Years of Bristol City F.C. Yore Publications. ISBN 1-874427-95-X.
"SUFCdb | Player Profile". www.sufcdb.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
"Albert Fairclough". 11v11.com. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
"Gillingham FC Career Details – Albert Fairclough". Retrieved 6 December 2017.

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