Oldest Living football league players

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Thank you. To be honest, all the information we have is there. If you scroll along on the first post, you can see their full name (if known).

 

I appreciate it's not the clearest table, but it's the best I have with the forum restrictions.

The dates of birth are relatively solid, although the odd year may be different.

 

I'll have to look into this .html business as there's racing drivers I want to check too.

[Master Obit 331]

4 minutes ago, Octopus of Odstock said:

Thank you. To be honest, all the information we have is there. If you scroll along on the first post, you can see their full name (if known).

 

I appreciate it's not the clearest table, but it's the best I have with the forum restrictions.

The dates of birth are relatively solid, although the odd year may be different.

 

I'll have to look into this .html business as there's racing drivers I want to check too.

 

Yeah I've done all them. If you can give me a list, then I'll check them tonight as I'm needing something to do (I can also at some point teach you how to check the minutiae if you so desire)

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Brilliant, so is it just the 2 from the entire 2022 GRO? Wood and Griffiths?

 

Racing personnel:

 

Jakeman	John		23-Feb-34
Ashdown	Peter	Hawthorn	16-Oct-34
Ferris	Geoff	Alistair	02-Aug-36
Russell	Adrian		24/02/1937
Lepp	John	Anthony	10/05/1938
Stait	Eddie		04-Oct-38
Ellice	Robert		12-Nov-38
Pickering	Rod		15-Apr-39
Osborn	Alec		16/05/1939
Cole	David J		08 Oct 1940
Chamberlain	Joe	Malcolm	13-Nov-40
Bailey	Ken	William	26-Jul-41
Clarke	John		07-Apr-44
Walters	Martin	G	15-Apr-45
May	Nick	Martin Samuel	08/07/1945
Ralph	Mick		27-Aug-45
Wilkins	Adrian	Ernest	14-Jun-46
Wass	Dave	J	15-Apr-47
Kelly	Dave		27-Feb-51

[Master Obit 331]

25 minutes ago, Octopus of Odstock said:

Brilliant, so is it just the 2 from the entire 2022 GRO? Wood and Griffiths?

 

Racing personnel:

 

Jakeman	John		23-Feb-34
Ashdown	Peter	Hawthorn	16-Oct-34
Ferris	Geoff	Alistair	02-Aug-36
Russell	Adrian		24/02/1937
Lepp	John	Anthony	10/05/1938
Stait	Eddie		04-Oct-38
Ellice	Robert		12-Nov-38
Pickering	Rod		15-Apr-39
Osborn	Alec		16/05/1939
Cole	David J		08 Oct 1940
Chamberlain	Joe	Malcolm	13-Nov-40
Bailey	Ken	William	26-Jul-41
Clarke	John		07-Apr-44
Walters	Martin	G	15-Apr-45
May	Nick	Martin Samuel	08/07/1945
Ralph	Mick		27-Aug-45
Wilkins	Adrian	Ernest	14-Jun-46
Wass	Dave	J	15-Apr-47
Kelly	Dave		27-Feb-51

Yes, just those two. I checked every one. I've not checked the Scottish one in case any of them moved there, but I think it's unlikely.

 

None of the racers are on the E+W 2022. A few namesakes, but none matching those DOBs.

 

With the footballers, there were also some namesakes (and it's possible that the DOB you have for them might be wrong), but those Griffiths and Wood were the only ones that were absolutely nailed on. There was even a 1920 born Mike Kelly who died last year, but he wasn't born on the same date as yours.

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Tbh, I wasn't expecting any of the racers to have gone, but good to know.

 

I have checked Scotland's People recently, so I'm pretty happy that list is up to date.

 

If the namesakes - with the full names - were almost correct, I think it likely they are the ones (especially with the rarer names).

 

This is really good, you've save me lots of time.

[Master Obit 331]

7 minutes ago, Octopus of Odstock said:

Tbh, I wasn't expecting any of the racers to have gone, but good to know.

 

I have checked Scotland's People recently, so I'm pretty happy that list is up to date.

 

If the namesakes - with the full names - were almost correct, I think it likely they are the ones (especially with the rarer names).

 

This is really good, you've save me lots of time.

This is why I wanted to know the accuracy of the dates. The problem is I'm not really comfortable with saying "it's probably this one", since it could easily not be. 

 

Eg Mike Kelly - the 1920 who died last year was a Michael Leslie Kelly, who was born in Q2/1920, and there's no indication that yours was Michael Leslie.

 

There were a few that were a year or two out with the exact same name, but that's too much inaccuracy for my liking especially if it's a reasonably common name (and I checked the day and month for that year in case it was eg 20th September 1935 and you had 20th September 1936). There were even a few with the same year, but the problem is I have to check the dates one at a time (I could create a script to run through all the dates and spit out which it was, but I'd have to feel in the mood to code that.)

 

If anyone else has anyone they need checking, then provided I can have a list with dates then I can whittle them down quite quickly (I use the GRO index and archives a good bit for my own hobby.)

 

[lsm 17]

I visited Graham Bailey a couple of weeks ago. He was on good form but is worried about Huddersfield Town's plight this season!

[Master Obit 331]

The Bernard Kelly that you've marked as dying in 2007 is someone completely different (assuming you're using the Bernard Alexander Kelly from GRO, b.1918). There is a birth record for Bernard Alexander Kelly born 21/08/1928 in Kensington, and that's surely the person on this list.

[michael featherstone 13]

I wllI will delete the death as he was born in 1928

 

He gave in interview in 2017 and is supposed to have died but I can't find a death and there is an Eric dale living the Oldham area in 2023 so he could be alive

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

 Trevor Hitchen a few weeks back. Looking very good for a man in his late 90's.

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

On 20/12/2022 at 20:25, Octopus of Odstock said:

If he's still alive, it's Arnold Woollard.

 

Newcastle's oldest living player, Arnold Woollard died in October 2023. https://www.royalgazette.com/obituaries/news/article/20231101/arnold-woollard-1930-2023-islands-first-professional-footballer/

Bill Punton, 90, this year, now appears to be the oldest.

[Gisooo 2,542]

On 29/06/2022 at 15:13, whoismakoto said:

Greece

Georgios Darivas             12 March 1926

Ioannis Ioannou                  1931

 

George Darivas dead at 97

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Alex South has died, Liverpool's 2nd oldest living player:

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rest-peace-alex-south

 

But the Everton side, I read on X, that Bert Harris, 92, is going to give an interview to a fan website, so he's still got some marbles.

[diego 1,833]

On 1/16/2024 at 2:50 AM, Gisooo said:

 

George Darivas dead at 97

Darivas was the oldest Greek Olympian, now he is Stelios Bonas, born on 1 July 1929, who represented Greece in the Sharpie class sailing tournament at the 1956 Melbourne Games and still competing in 2023, he was also the player oldest living Olympic football player, Kees Rijvers, born in May. October 27, 1926, who played for the Netherlands in 1948 is now that person

https://olympstats.com/2024/01/20/even-more-changes-to-oldest-olympian-titleholders/

[Master Obit 331]

@Octopus of Odstock

 

A Robert Bruce born 14/10/1928 died in Q1/2023 in West Sussex if you think that might be Bobby Bruce.

A James Adam born 22/04/1931 died in Q2/2023 in North Northamptonshire, which might be Jimmy Adam.

Richard John Pearson born 14/06/1931 died Q3/2023 in Surrey.

Leo Francis Burns born 03/08/1932 died Q2/2023 in Trafford.

Frank Core born 05/09/1932 died Q1/2023 in Bromley.

 

 

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

1 hour ago, Master Obit said:

@Octopus of Odstock

 

A Robert Bruce born 14/10/1928 died in Q1/2023 in West Sussex if you think that might be Bobby Bruce.

A James Adam born 22/04/1931 died in Q2/2023 in North Northamptonshire, which might be Jimmy Adam.

Richard John Pearson born 14/06/1931 died Q3/2023 in Surrey.

Leo Francis Burns born 03/08/1932 died Q2/2023 in Trafford.

Frank Core born born 05/09/1932 died Q1/2023 in Bromley.

 

 

 

Brilliant, thanks for this.

 

These things are never finite, but there are not many other James Adam (with no middle name) born in 1931 in the UK, let alone in April, so I'd go along with that.

 

There is one other Robert Bruce born Q4 in Islington but... The chances of there being two Robert Bruce's born the same day and both still being alive aged 95... I'd be inclined to say it's the ex Orient man.

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

One for @maryportfuncity here - Carlisle's 'oldest' living player returns to Brunton Park - https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/2023/september/club-special-day-for-a-special-guest/

 

Harrison IS on the list, but we didn't know much about him, so it's good to tick him as alive.

 

However, I'd be more inclined to remove James Kelly (b. 1925) as dead as per the above, if it wasn't for the fact that Ernie Bond, who played 192 games for Carlisle (so in other words, would be too big a name to miss off their records) wasn't still alive at the age of 93. So I'm not as convinced in Carlisle's records.

 

 

[Master Obit 331]

20 hours ago, Octopus of Odstock said:

 

Brilliant, thanks for this.

 

These things are never finite, but there are not many other James Adam (with no middle name) born in 1931 in the UK, let alone in April, so I'd go along with that.

 

There is one other Robert Bruce born Q4 in Islington but... The chances of there being two Robert Bruce's born the same day and both still being alive aged 95... I'd be inclined to say it's the ex Orient man.

There were also 8 Scottish births of Robert Bruce (no middle name) in 1928. At least the vast majority of these are deceased, and possibly all are, but Scotland's death index isn't quite as easy to deduce from when it comes to things like this.

[Ulitzer95 11,085]

On 26/07/2023 at 23:00, Octopus of Odstock said:

I've deleted four people off the list as I don't have any belief they are alive and in all likelihood, we'll never know.

*snip*
 

and Charlie Smith (b. 1930), I'm sure they're gone. I've gone for deleting them, we'll see if it backfires.

*snip*

Charlie Smith was actually still alive when you deleted him from your list(!) but he died in November 2023, aged 93. Death notice here.

Doesn't have a Wiki page but his Hugman's profile needs updated.

[The Watcher 294]

Former footballers certainly do not seem to live as long as former cricketers. There have been around 20 centenarian former  first class cricketers - difficult to recall any centenarian footballers.

[michael featherstone 13]

There has been at least 7 or 8 one alive now age 103

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

2 hours ago, The Watcher said:

Former footballers certainly do not seem to live as long as former cricketers. There have been around 20 centenarian former  first class cricketers - difficult to recall any centenarian footballers.

 

Graham Bailey is the oldest living ex footballer, now 103 years old 

[The Watcher 294]

5 hours ago, michael featherstone said:

There has been at least 7 or 8 one alive now age 103

Interesting to read - 27 first class male cricketers reached 100.

[Ulitzer95 11,085]

Just now, The Watcher said:

Interesting to read - 27 first class male cricketers reached 100.

Aye, but isn’t that across all cricketing nations?

 

We’re only talking about English and Welsh league players in this thread.

[Deathrace 1,099]

Just now, The Watcher said:

Interesting to read - 27 first class male cricketers reached 100.

Partly likely to be dementia related. However, also cricketers from this generation were generally from a much more middle class background than footballers. Many footballers born in the 1920s and 1930s will have worked in mines or factories prior to their sporting careers or afterwards or even in some cases during it. Also footballers playing in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s were not especially well paid. It will be interesting to see how those playing in the 1980s and 1990s who were much better paid get on.