Albert Pearson (footballer)

Albert Victor Pearson (6 September 1892 – 24 January 1975) was an English footballer who played as a forward for Sheffield United, Port Vale, Liverpool, Llanelli, Rochdale, Stockport County and Ashton National Gas. His son-in-law, George Heppell, and great-great-grandson, Tom Conlon, also played for Port Vale.

Albert Pearson
Personal information
Full name Albert Victor Pearson[1]
Date of birth (1892-09-02)2 September 1892[1]
Place of birth Tynemouth, England[1]
Date of death 24 January 1975(1975-01-24) (aged 82)[1]
Place of death Newcastle-under-Lyme, England[1]
Height 5 ft 9+12 in (1.77 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1910–1912 Hebburn Argyle
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1912–1914 Sheffield United 6 (0)
1914–1919 Port Vale 31 (14)
1919–1921 Liverpool 44 (4)
1921–1922 Port Vale 19 (1)
1922–1923 Llanelly
1923–1925 Rochdale 52 (12)
1925–1929 Stockport County 69 (6)
Ashton National Gas
Total 221+ (37+)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career edit

Pearson played for Hebburn Argyle and Sheffield United before joining Port Vale in the summer of 1914.[1] He was a first-team regular during the war years and was a member of the side that won the North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup in 1915.[1] The club went into abeyance due to war concerns during the 1915–16 and 1916–17 seasons, but he continued his first-team duties at The Old Recreation Ground upon the club's re-forming.[1] He was sold to First Division side Liverpool in January 1919, however, Sheffield received some of the fee as they claimed he was still on their books, despite him leaving them five years previous.[1] He missed only nine games in his second season for the "Reds", but fell out of favour at Anfield the next season.[3] He went back to Port Vale in May 1921 and regained his first-team place, and played 19 Second Division games before he picked up an injury in February 1922 and was released at the end of the season.[1] He moved on to Llanelli, Rochdale, Stockport County and Ashton National Gas.[1]

Personal life edit

His son-in-law, George Heppell, played for Port Vale between 1937 and 1952, whilst his great-great-grandson, Tom Conlon, joined the club in 2018.[4]

Career statistics edit

Source:[5]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sheffield United 1912–13 First Division 5 0 0 0 5 0
1913–14 First Division 1 0 0 0 1 0
Total 6 0 0 0 6 0
Port Vale 1914–15 Central League 31 14 3 0 34 14
Liverpool 1919–20 First Division 34 4 5 0 39 4
1920–21 First Division 10 0 3 0 13 0
Total 44 4 8 0 52 4
Port Vale 1921–22 Second Division 19 1 1 0 20 1
Rochdale 1923–24 Third Division North 34 7 2 0 36 7
1924–25 Third Division North 11 3 2 0 13 3
1925–26 Third Division North 7 2 0 0 7 2
Total 52 12 4 0 56 12
Stockport County 1925–26 Second Division 11 2 0 0 11 2
1926–27 Third Division North 25 3 1 0 26 3
1927–28 Third Division North 20 1 2 1 22 2
1928–29 Third Division North 13 0 0 0 13 0
Total 69 6 3 1 72 7
Total 221 37 19 1 240 38

Honours edit

Port Vale

  • North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup: 1915

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 227. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ^ "Optimists of the North. Rochdale". Athletic News. Manchester. 6 August 1923. p. 6.
  3. ^ "Albert Pearson Profile". LFCHistory.net. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  4. ^ Baggaley, Michael (16 March 2020). "Tom Conlon on family pride and his Port Vale history". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  5. ^ Albert Pearson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)