Archie Mitchell (footballer)

Archibald Philip Mitchell (15 December 1885 – 16 April 1949) was an English professional footballer and manager. He is best remembered for his long spell as a centre half with Queens Park Rangers, for whom he made over 300 appearances and later managed. Mitchell began his professional career with Aston Villa.

Archie Mitchell
Mitchell while Brentford manager in 1924.
Personal information
Full name Archibald Philip Mitchell[1]
Date of birth (1885-12-15)15 December 1885[1]
Place of birth Smethwick, England
Date of death 16 April 1949(1949-04-16) (aged 63)[2]
Place of death Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada[2]
Position(s) Centre half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1905 Oldbury St John's
1905–1907 Aston Villa 0 (0)
1907–1921 Queens Park Rangers 306 (11)
1916 → Brentford (guest) 1 (0)
1921–1922 Brentford 13 (2)
Total 48 (5)
International career
England Juniors 1
Southern League XI 7
1921 Football League XI 1 (0)
Managerial career
1921–1924 Brentford
Dartford
1931–1933 Queens Park Rangers
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Early years and Aston Villa

A centre half, Mitchell began his playing career with amateur side Oldbury St John's, before transferring to First Division club Aston Villa in 1905.[2] He failed to make a first team appearance for the club, appearing instead for the reserve team.[2] With the reserves, he helped the team win the Birmingham & District League title in the 1905–06 and 1906–07 seasons.[2] Mitchell departed Villa in 1907.[2]

Queens Park Rangers

On 2 May 1907, Mitchell joined Southern League First Division club Queens Park Rangers.[3] He had a good start to his career with the Hoops, winning the 1907–08 First Division title in his debut season.[3] A further First Division title was won in 1911–12,[4] with the Charity Shield being lost 2–1 to Football League First Division champions Blackburn Rovers.[5][6] He remained with Queens Park Rangers through to 1921 and finally made his Football League debut at the age of 34 in the 1920–21 season,[7] after the club were elected to the Football League Third Division.[4] He made 35 appearances and scored three goals during the 1920–21 season.[8] By the time he left the Hoops at the end of the campaign, Mitchell had made over 330 appearances for the club, excluding unofficial wartime competitions.[9]

Brentford

Mitchell joined Third Division South West London rivals Brentford as player in August 1921,[9] after having previously made an appearance for the club as a guest during the First World War.[10] He made 16 appearances and scored two goals for the Bees, with the final appearance of his career coming as a goalkeeper in the final away league game of the 1921–22 season away to Swansea Town.[11]

Management career

Brentford

When Mitchell joined Third Division South club Brentford in August 1921,[9] he became the club's player-manager.[9] He presided over three forgettable campaigns, with his best finish being 9th in the 1921–22 season.[12] After a run of seven straight defeats, Mitchell left the club in December 1924.[11]

Queens Park Rangers

After coaching in the Balkans and a two-year stint as manager of Southern League club Dartford,[11] Mitchell returned to former club Queens Park Rangers as manager in November 1931, replacing John Bowman, who had to step down due to ill-health.[13] He led the club to a mid-table finish in what remained of the 1931–32 Third Division South season and resigned at the end of the 1932–33 season.[4][14]

International and representative career

Mitchell made one appearance for England Juniors and made seven appearances for the Southern League representative team while with Queens Park Rangers.[2][11] He made an appearance for the Football League XI in a 4–1 win over the Army on 10 November 1921.[9]

Personal life

After leaving Brentford and before departing for the Balkans, Mitchell worked in Acton as a schoolteacher.[11]

Career statistics

Player
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Queens Park Rangers 1907–08[3] Southern League First Division 12 0 0 0 — 12 0
1908–09[15] 23 0 1 0 — 24 0
1909–10[16] 30 1 7 0 — 37 1
1910–11[17] 33 0 1 0 — 34 0
1911–12[6] 37 2 2 0 1[lower-alpha 1] 0 40 2
1912–13[18] 38 1 2 0 — 40 1
1913–14[19] 33 1 5 1 — 38 2
1914–15[20] 30 1 3 0 — 33 1
1919–20[21] 35 2 1 0 — 36 0
1920–21[7] Third Division 35 3 2 0 — 37 0
Total 306 11 24 1 1 0 331 12
Brentford 1921–22[10] Third Division South 13 2 3 1 — 16 3
Career total 319 13 27 2 1 0 347 15
  1. Appearance in FA Charity Shield

Manager
Team From To Record Ref
GWDLWin %
Brentford August 1921 December 1924 155 51 35 69 032.90 [10]
Queens Park Rangers November 1931 May 1933 79 32 18 29 040.51 [22]
Total 234 83 53 98 035.47 —

Honours

Aston Villa Reserves

Queens Park Rangers

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 206. ISBN 978-1905891610.
  2. "Mitchell, Archibald P. (Archie)". Aston Villa Player Database. 16 April 1949. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  3. "Seasonal Stats – 1907–08". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  4. Queen's Park Rangers F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  5. "England – List of FA Charity/Community Shield Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  6. "Seasonal Stats – 1911–12". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  7. "Seasonal Stats – 1920–21". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  8. "Archie Mitchell". Doing The 92. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  9. Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. p. 74. ISBN 1-874427-57-7.
  10. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 363–368. ISBN 0951526200.
  11. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 109. ISBN 0955294916.
  12. Brentford F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  13. "A Potted History". QPR. Archived from the original on 23 June 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  14. "Mitchell Archie Queens Park Rangers 1914". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  15. "Seasonal Stats – 1908–09". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  16. "Seasonal Stats – 1909–10". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  17. "Seasonal Stats – 1910–11". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  18. "Seasonal Stats – 1912–13". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  19. "Seasonal Stats – 1913–14". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  20. "Seasonal Stats – 1914–15". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  21. "Seasonal Stats – 1919–20". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  22. Archie Mitchell management career statistics at Soccerbase
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