Harry Sellars

Harry Sellars (9 April 1902 – 30 December 1978) was an English footballer and football manager, who played in the English Football League for Stoke City.[1] He made 395 appearances for Stoke in all competitions, and helped the club to win the Third Division North title in 1926–27 and the Second Division title in 1932–33. He went on to briefly manage League of Ireland side Dundalk in 1947. His son John also played for Stoke in the 1950s.[1][2] Together, father and son played 808 league and cup games for the club.

Harry Sellars
Personal information
Full name Harry Sellars[1]
Date of birth (1902-04-09)9 April 1902[1]
Place of birth Beamish, Durham, England[1]
Date of death 30 December 1978(1978-12-30) (aged 76)[1]
Place of death Stoke-on-Trent, England[1]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Half-back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1919–1921 Darlington 0 (0)
1922 Leadgate Park
1923–1935 Stoke City 370 (18)
1937–1938 Congleton Town 36 (0)
1938 Port Vale 0 (0)
Total 406 (18)
Managerial career
1947 Dundalk
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Sellars was born in Beamish, Durham and joined his local club Darlington as an amateur in 1919.[2] The "Quakers" found him a job cleaning train carriage windows an improvement on his previous employment as a miner. Sellars turned down a trial at Manchester United in favour of turning professional with ambitious Northern League club Leadgate Park who offered him £2 a week.[2] He was recommended to several Football League clubs by various scouts and Stoke City manager Tom Mather signed him on 15 December 1923. He began his Stoke career at inside-left and scored on his debut against Clapton Orient on 26 January 1924.[2] He was in and out of the side in the next three seasons before Sellars converted to half-back in 1925–26 as Stoke were relegated to the Third Division North. A strong half-back line with Sellars, Cecil Eastwood and Tom Williamson helped Stoke win the title and return to the Second Division.[2]

He became a steady and consistent performer for Stoke and helped them win promotion to the First Division in 1932–33.[2] He remained in the side until he injured his knee in September 1935, which allowed Frank Soo to take his place. In total Sellars made 395 appearances, scoring 19 goals, for Stoke in a 13-year career at the Victoria Ground.[2] He then helped Congleton Town to win the Cheshire Senior Cup and had a short spell at Port Vale (without playing a first team game). During World War II he worked at the PMT bus in depot in Hanley and once the war was over he returned to Stoke to become Bob McGrory's assistant manager and first-team coach. In his role he helped to train his son John.[2]

Managerial career

Sellars was recruited to manage League of Ireland side Dundalk at the start of the 1947–48, before he agreed to a mutual termination of his contract in October 1947.[3]

Career statistics

Source:[4]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Stoke City 1923–24 Second Division 840084
1924–25 Second Division 811091
1925–26 Second Division 13200132
1926–27 Third Division North 30030330
1927–28 Second Division 33340373
1928–29 Second Division 40010410
1929–30 Second Division 40310413
1930–31 Second Division 33130361
1931–32 Second Division 42151472
1932–33 Second Division 39220412
1933–34 First Division 38140421
1934–35 First Division 40010410
1935–36 First Division 600060
Total 3701825139519
Port Vale 1937–38 Third Division North 000000

Honours

Stoke City

References
  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. Stoke City 101 Golden Greats. Desert Islands Books. 2002. ISBN 1-874287554.
  3. "Harry Sellars | History of Dundalk F.C." dundalkfcwhoswho.com. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  4. Harry Sellars at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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