| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Albert Groves | ||
| Date of birth | January 1886[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Newport, Wales[1] | ||
| Date of death | 1960 (aged 73–74)[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-half[1] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1908–1909 | Aberdare Athletic | ||
| 1909–1920 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 200 | (18) |
| 1920–1924 | Walsall | 79 | (15) |
| Willenhall | |||
| Total | 279 | (33) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1920–1921 | Walsall (player-manager) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Albert Groves (January 1886 – 1960) was a Welsh footballer and manager. A centre-half, he played for Aberdare Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Walsall, and Willenhall. He served Walsall as player-manager in the 1920–21 season.
Career
Born at Newport in January 1886, Groves began his career as a forward, playing for Aberdare Athletic.[2][3] He signed with Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 1909.[1] He made his Second Division debut at Molineux on the last day of the 1909–10 season, in a 3–2 win over Manchester City.[1] Wanderers went on to finish ninth in 1910–11 and fifth in 1911–12, before Groves scored 10 league goals to help the club to a tenth-place finish in 1912–13.[1] Over time, he was converted into a centre half and the club went on to finish ninth in 1913–14 and fourth in 1914–15,[2] before World War I temporarily put a halt to the Football League.[1] During the war he guested for Port Vale in October 1916, scoring three goals in 23 games before moving on to Bury and Sunbeam Motor Works (Coventry).[4] Groves also guested for Stoke in 1915–16.[5] After returning to "Wolves" after the war, he helped the club to a 19th-place finish in 1919–20.[1] He was then appointed player-manager at Birmingham League club Walsall, before he was replaced by Joe Burchell.[1] He remained on at Fellows Park as player-secretary, and scored eight goals in 36 games in 1921–22, as the club became founder members of the Third Division North.[1] He continued to turn out for the "Saddlers" in 1922–23 and 1923–24, racking up 79 League, 12 FA Cup and 33 other senior appearances, scoring 15 goals.[1] A serious knee injury led Groves to end his playing days at Willenhall and after retiring from football he ran the Hope and Anchor public house in Willenhall.[2][1]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1909–10[6] | Second Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1910–11[6] | Second Division | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 0 | |
| 1911–12[6] | Second Division | 37 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 41 | 1 | |
| 1912–13[6] | Second Division | 37 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 10 | |
| 1913–14[6] | Second Division | 31 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 4 | |
| 1914–15[7] | Second Division | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| 1919–20[6] | Second Division | 25 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 4 | |
| Total | 200 | 18 | 17 | 2 | 217 | 20 | ||
| Walsall | 1921–22[6] | Third Division North | 36 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 42 | 9 |
| 1922–23[6] | Third Division North | 15 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 | |
| 1923–24[6] | Third Division North | 28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 4 | |
| Total | 79 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 89 | 16 | ||
| Career total | 279 | 33 | 27 | 3 | 306 | 36 | ||
Honours
Aberdare Athletic
- Welsh Football League: 1908–09[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Profile". thewolvessite.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ a b c "Walsall | Club | Past Managers | PAST MANAGERS". Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Groves Albert Image 1 Walsall 1922". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 121. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Albert Groves at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- ^ "Wolverhampton Wanderers Squad 1914/15". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
This page was last edited on 6 December 2023, at 17:38