Alfred Strange

Infobox Football biography
playername = Alfred Strange
fullname = Alfred Henry Strange


height =
dateofbirth = birth date|1900|4|2|df=y
cityofbirth = Ripley, Derbyshire
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = October 1978 (aged 78)
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Centre-forward / Right half
youthyears =
youthclubs = Marehay Colliery
years = 1922–1924
1924–1927
1927–1935
1935–1936
clubs = Portsmouth
Port Vale
Sheffield Wednesday
Bradford Park Avenue
caps(goals) = 024 (16)
095 (25)
253 (22)
010 0(0)
nationalyears = 1930–1933
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 020 0(0)
manageryears =
managerclubs =
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Alfred Henry Strange (2 April 1900 - October 1978) was an English professional footballer who played most of his career as a half back with Sheffield Wednesday and made 20 appearances for England.

Playing career

Strange was born in Ripley, Derbyshire and as a youth played for the Marehay Colliery team, where he was spotted by scouts from Portsmouth, for whom he signed as a professional in December 1922. He started his career with Portsmouth as a centre-forward and in his two seasons there he scored 16 goals from 24 league appearances, helping them to win the Football League Third Division South title in 1924.

Frustrated at the lack of regular first team opportunities at Fratton Park, Strange moved to Second Division Port Vale in 1924. At Port Vale he was a regular selection, playing as an inside forward and he made 95 league appearances over two and a half years scoring 25 goals, before transferring to Sheffield Wednesday in February 1927, with Harry Anstiss moving in the opposite direction.

At Wednesday, he was switched to right half and "his career blossomed". [cite book | author=Graham Betts| title=England: Player by player | publisher=Green Umbrella Publishing | year=2006|pages=p. 231| isbn=1-905009-63-1] He was an "ever present" when Wednesday won the Football League title in 1928-29, and in the following season he missed only one league match as Wednesday claimed the title for the second consecutive year.

He was selected to represent the Football League three times, before receiving his first England cap for the match against Scotland on 5 April 1930. He played at right half as England won 5-2, with Vic Watson and Strange's Wednesday team-mate Ellis Rimmer each scoring twice. Two other Sheffield Wednesday players, Ernie Blenkinsop and William Marsden, also played in this match. [http://www.englandfc.com/MatchData/yearbyyear.php?start=1930&end=1935&gender=M&level=FULL]

In May 1930, he accompanied England on a European tour where he played against Germany and Austria, both matches being drawn. He continued to be selected for England over the next few years, being appointed captain for matches against France on 14 May 1931 (lost 5-2) and Wales on 18 November 1931 (won 3-1).

In the league, Strange continued to play 40 or 41 games over the next few seasons, before age and injuries started to interrupt his career. His final England appearance came at White Hart Lane on 6 December 1933, when he was able to gain "revenge" for the defeat by France two years earlier, with England wining 4-1 (George Camsell scoring twice). He missed out on most of the 1934-35 season and was unable to play in any of Wednesday's matches in the FA Cup, when they went on to win the final against West Bromwich Albion 4-2.

In May 1935, after 253 league and 19 cup appearances for Wednesday, Strange transferred to Bradford Park Avenue. He played one season with Park Avenue before dropping down to lower league football, returning to his place of birth to play for Ripley Town. He also played for the Raleigh Cycles team and for Corsham United.

After retiring from football, he settled in Ripley and worked as a poultry farmer. In 1979 a room at the Ripley Leisure Centre was named the "Alf Strange Room" in his honour. [cite web | title=Links with history to be retained by centres| work= www.ripleyandheanornews.co.uk| url=http://www.ripleyandheanornews.co.uk/news/Links-with-history-to-be.874081.jp| accessdate=3 February| accessyear=2008]

Honours

;Portsmouth
*Football League Third Division South championship: 1923-24.

;Sheffield Wednesday
*Football League championship: 1928-29 and 1929-30

References

External links

*Englandstats|id=934|name=Alfred Strange
* [http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=941 England profile]
* [http://www.youandyesterday.co.uk/articles/Strange,_Alf_-_Marehay_lad_captained_England Feature on "You & Yesterday"]
* [http://www.adrianbullock.com/swfc/stats/play0580.htm Wednesday profile]