Jack Astley

John Astley (3 December 1909 – 8 November 1984) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Southport, Brentford and Coventry City as a right back.[1]

Jack Astley
Personal information
Full name John Astley[1]
Date of birth (1909-12-03)3 December 1909
Place of birth Warrington, England
Date of death 8 November 1984(1984-11-08) (aged 74)[2]
Place of death Whitley, England
Position(s) Right back
Youth career
St. Elfin's Parish Church
Chadwick Recreation
Warrington Bedouins
Elmwood Avenue Methodists
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1930–1933 Southport 2 (0)
1932–1933 → Shelbourne (loan)
1933–1936 Brentford 49 (0)
1936–1942 Coventry City 140 (0)
International career
League of Ireland XI
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Early years

A right back, Astley began his career in his native north west,[3] playing for a number of amateur clubs before joining Third Division North club Southport in 1930.[2] He made just two appearances for the club before joining League of Ireland club Shelbourne on loan for the 1932–33 season.[2] He left Southport at the end of the 1932–33 season.[2]

Brentford

Astley transferred to Second Division club Brentford in May 1933.[4] He went straight into the team and made 41 appearances during the 1933–34 season, in which the Bees finished fourth in the Second Division.[5] The arrival of full backs Arthur Bateman and George Poyser during the 1934 off-season and an injury saw Astley lose his place in the team and he made just one appearance during the 1934–35 season,[2] in which Brentford secured promotion to the First Division as champions.[5] He instead played for the reserves and won the 1935 London Challenge Cup with the team.[6] Astley managed to make eight appearances in the First Division during the first half of the 1935–36 season,[5] before departing Griffin Park in February 1936.[4] Astley made 50 appearances for Brentford.[4]

Coventry City

Astley joined Third Division South high-flyers Coventry City in February 1936.[4] He made 14 appearances in what remained of the 1935–36 season and helped the Sky Blues to the Third Division South title.[7] Astley displaced Vic Brown from the team and with former Brentford teammate Walter Metcalf on the other flank at full back, he was an ever-present until professional football was suspended in 1939 upon to the outbreak of the Second World War.[4] He made 148 appearances for the Sky Blues and guested for Nottingham Forest during the war.[7][8]

Representative career

While with Shelbourne, Astley played for the League of Ireland representative team against their Welsh League counterparts.[4]

Personal life

Astley served in the British Army during and after the Second World War and rose to the rank of captain.[2] He married his wife, an Estonian, during 5+1⁄2-years stationed in Germany.[2] Astley settled in Coventry in 1950 and began working for the General Electric Company, retiring in 1974.[2] He died of a heart attack in Whitley Hospital in November 1984.[2]

Honours

Brentford Reserves

Coventry City

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Southport 1931–32[2] Third Division North 2 0 0 0 2 0
Brentford 1933–34[5] Second Division 40 0 1 0 41 0
1934–35[5] 1 0 0 0 1 0
1935–36[5] First Division 8 0 — 8 0
Total 49 0 1 0 50 0
Coventry City 1935–36[7] Third Division South 14 0 3 0 17 0
1936–37[7] Second Division 42 0 3 0 45 0
1937–38[7] 42 0 1 0 43 0
1938–39[7] 42 0 1 0 43 0
Total 140 0 8 0 148 0
Career total 191 0 9 0 200 0

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 12. ISBN 978-1905891610.
  2. "Jack Astley (Player Profile)". 18 March 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  3. "Astley Jack Coventry City 1937". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  4. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 13. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  5. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 372–373. ISBN 0951526200.
  6. Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. p. 82. ISBN 1-874427-57-7.
  7. "Jack Astley". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  8. "Jack Astley". The City Ground. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
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