Oldest Living football league players

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

I've done this as a separate topic from the Time Added thread, because the Time Added thread is very catch-all, as a football thread will be.

 

I can only go by the English Football League, as I don't have access to the Scottish records, but hopefully someone can copy and paste the Scottish only players for reference here.

 

There are a number of people definitely alive and they come in the first set of information.  Of those that I'm not certain of, there will definitely be some alive but there's no report recently on them to confirm that, or no general "oldest player" posts or snippets on the web.

 

Barry Hugman's Footballers was the backup source for the list and basically it's been going through Google, BHF, UK and Ireland Family Records, Scottish Death Indexes and Probate searches to eliminate other possibilities. Some footballers I couldn't find death records for but when some clubs have gone "such and such is our oldest player" then it's made life easier.

 

Here's the edited to include 1930-1934 births:

 

First Name Surname DoB Clubs Google Other names Eric Hampson 11/11/1921 Stoke, Stafford Rangers Australia?   Syd Ward 26/11/1923 Bradford, Upton Colliery x   Ted Harding 05/04/1925 Crystal P, Coalville x Edward James Bill  Mellor 29/06/1925 Accrington, Droyslden probably dead William    Bill Parker 15/08/1925 Reading, Swindon, Exeter x William B Eryk Kubicki 18/08/1925 York, Polish Army x Eugeniusz Joe Lancaster 28/04/1926 Accrington, Manchester United alive Joseph Gerard Ray McKee  16/06/1926 Northampton, Finchley alive Raymond Trevor Eddie Lewis 21/06/1926 Leyton O x   Trevor Hitchen 25/09/1926 Southport, Wigan, Oldham, Notts Cty, Wellington, Halifax alive   Robert Williams 25/10/1927 Liverpool, Shrewsbury, Wrexham x Robert Raymond Bobby Godwin 03/02/1928 Swindon, Old Headlandians alive Robert Geoffrey Charles Campbell 27/02/1928 Oldham, Rutherglen Glencairn x   Reg Chapman 14/06/1928 Crewe, Hereford x   John Scott 18/07/1928 Leeds, Workington alive John Alfred Bernard Kelly 21/08/1928 Brentford, Bath City   Bernard Alexander Harry Jarvis 08/10/1928 Notts County, Worksop alive   Alan Layton 27/11/1928 Barrow, Bolton Alive in 2012, Canada   Cecil Steeds 11/01/1929 Bristol City, Bristol Rovers alive   Harry Williams 24/02/1929 Swindon, Bury, West Ham, Man U x Henry George John Core 29/03/1929 Halifax alive   Joe Harris 08/04/1929 Oldham, Blackburn Moved back to Northern Ireland   Ernie Bond 04/05/1929 Carlisle, Man Utd alive James Ernest Don Gibson 12/05/1929 Leyton O, Sheff W, Man U alive Thomas Richard Donald Ron Steel 03/06/1929 Darlington, Bishop Auckland x (ex RAF)   John Cook 26/06/1929 Bristol Rovers x John Albert Roy Killin 18/07/1929 Lincoln, Man U alive Harold Roy Terry Robinson 08/11/1929 Brentford, Northampton, England Amateur alive Terence Hogarth Johnny Langland 09/11/1929 hartlepool, Blyth, Chesterfield, Sunderland, Silksworth alive John R Liam Coll 16/12/1929 Accrington probably dead William Sean Johnny Moffatt 22/12/1929 Brighton, Bellshill x John Black Ron Harbertson 23/12/1929 Lincoln, Darlington, Wrexham, Grimsby, Bradford, Brighton, Newcastle alive   Jim Storey 30/12/1929 Darlington, Rochdale, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Exeter x   Eric Marsden 03/01/1930 Crystal Palace, Southend, Winchester, Shrewsbury     Reg Pearce 12/01/1930 Peterborough, Sunderland, Luton alive Reginald Stanley Fred Higgins 21/01/1930 Crystal Palace GRO OKAY Frederick Thomas Cecil  Law 10/03/1930 Derby, Bury GRO OKAY probably dead in RSA Cecil Richard Jack Hobbs 17/04/1930 Bournemouth, Swanage GRO OKAY John Eric Len Edwards 30/05/1930 Crewe, Brighton, Sheff W, Wrexham GRO OKAY Leonard Owen Doug Fletcher 17/09/1930 Scunthorpe, Bury, Sheffield Weds, Darlington, Halifax     Albert Childs 25/09/1930 Liverpool alive Albert Robert Allan Senior 29/09/1930 Halifax alive (alive in Wakefield 2024) Allan Gordon James McQuade 14/10/1930 Halifax, Dumbarton     Colin  McDonald 15/10/1930 Burnley and England alive Colin Agnew Eric Gill 03/11/1930 Brighton, Charlton alive Eric Norman Peter Higham 08/11/1930 Bolton, Doncaster, Nottm Forest, Preston, Portsmouth, Wigan alive   Tommy Derbyshire 10/12/1930 Hartlepool, East Yorks Regiment poss alive - 2018 Thomas L Robert Harrison 23/12/1930 Carlisle, Stockport, Mossley     Bert  Carberry 16/01/1931 Gillingham, Port Vale, Norwich, Exeter   Robert Arthur Tyrer 25/02/1931 Aldershot, Shrewsbury, Leeds Utd alive Arthur Spencer Matt Gemmell 10/03/1931 Portsmouth, Swindon poss alive in Scotland 2018   Alex Bell 13/03/1931 Exeter, Grimsby, Partick Back in Scotland Alexander Stewart Jimmy Thomson 17/03/1931 Southend, Raith ALIVE James Donaldson Ralph Granville 23/04/1931 Clyde, Nottingham Forest, Gateshead alive in 2005 in Scotland? Anthony Ralph Tommy Wilkinson 08/05/1931 Hartlepool, Blackhall Colliery died 2010?   David McDonald 09/05/1931 Crystal Palace, Dundee Violet   David Anderson Joe Eaton 16/05/1931 Mansfield, Langwith BC GRO OKAY (def alive 2014) Joseph David William  Devlin 30/05/1931 Carlisle, Peterborough     Eric Jones 23/06/1931 Accrington, Southport, Doncaster, Preston, Nottm Forest alive   Brian Cripsey 26/06/1931 Hull City, Wrexham alive Brian Samuel David Hawkins 11/08/1931 Gillingham, Sheppey United GRO OKAY David John Ken Scott 13/08/1931 Derby, Mansfield     Don  Cowan 17/08/1931 Darlington GRO OKAY, alive 2021   Bill  Finney 05/09/1931 Rochdale, Crewe, QPR, Birmingham, Stoke alive Charles William Thomas Billy Waters 19/09/1931 Millwall, Wrexham, Swansea, Southend, Stoke, Blackpool GRO OKAY, alive 2013 in wales William Anthony Des Palmer 23/09/1931 Swansea, Wales, Liverpool, Derby alive in Australia Desmond Frederick Charlie Calow 30/09/1931 Bradford PA, Cliftonville GRO OKAY/alive 2020 Charles John Herbert Bert Harris 21/11/1931 Everton, Tranmere, Southport alive Albert Edward Noel Gilbert 25/12/1931 Norwich City alive   George Brown 12/01/1932 Crewe, Stenhousemuir     Bill  Leivers 29/01/1932 Doncaster, Manchester City, Chesterfield alive William Ernest Joe Sharman 02/02/1932 Derby, Gresley, Bradford alive (Joseph) Donald William John McTavish 02/02/1932 Manchester City alive in 2009 in Scotland John Robert Byron Davies 05/02/1932 Newport, Leeds alive in 2017   Jimmy Rolfe 08/02/1932 Crewe, Barrow, Chester, Liverpool alive in 2017   Pat Thompson 11/02/1932 Brighton, Topsham   Patrick Alfred Bobby Seith 09/03/1932 Burnley, Dundee alive   Dave Richardson 11/03/1932 Barrow, Swindon, Grimsby, Leicester alive in 2017   Ray Snowball 16/03/1932 Darlington alive   Alan Gee 16/03/1932 Rotherham       John McGrath 21/03/1932 Notts County, Darlington prob dead   Tommy Quigley 26/03/1932 QPR, Portsmouth, Barry Town Might be in Scotland Thomas Cook Calvin Symonds 29/03/1932 Rochdale, Bermuda alive Roderick Calvin Hilgrove Ron Ward 29/03/1932 Darlington, Tottenham   Henry Ronald Eric Doughty 09/04/1932 Arsenal, Plymouth alive   Keith  Abbiss 26/04/1932 Brighton, Letchworth   Keith Douglas Ken Smales 03/05/1932 Hull alive   Peter Rees 05/05/1932 Tranmere alive Peter Noel Robert Scrugham 15/05/1932 Workington, Cleaton Moor alive   Ray DeGruchy 18/05/1932 Grimsby, Chesterfield, Nottm Forest alive Raymond Philip Colin Bettany 15/06/1932 Torquay, Birmingham, Crewe alive Colin David Arthur Barnard 20/06/1932 Bolton,Stockport, Southport alive   Robert Bloor 08/07/1932 Crewe     Ron Tulloch 15/07/1932 Berea, South Africa, Hull   Roland Ray Hampson 27/07/1932 Reading, Bournemouth, Manchester United, Aldershot alivein 2015 Raymond Geoffrey Johnny  King 09/08/1932 Crewe, Stoke, Cardiff alive John William Micky Stewart 16/09/1932 Charlton, Corinthian Casuals alive Michael James Jim Lovie 19/09/1932 Peterhead, Bury, Bournemouth, Chesterfield alive James Theirs Harrison Joe Thomas 22/09/1932 Barnsley, Wolves, Mansfield, Chesterfield   John Charles Jack Harrison 30/09/1932 Crewe      Colin Askey 03/10/1932 Mansfield, Walsall, Port Vale alive      Harry Sandys 08/10/1932 Torquay, Yeovil   Harold Albert Norman Crickett 13/10/1932 Carlisle, Raffles Rovers alive   Peter Thomas 18/10/1932 Exeter, Cardiff, Newport   Peter John Gordon Jago 22/10/1932 Charlton alive Gordon Harold Stan Taylor 17/11/1932 Southport        Ronnie Sharp 22/11/1932 Doncaster, Arbroath     Bobby Williams 24/11/1932 New Brighton, Chester   Robert Francis Ronnie Waldock 06/12/1932 Sheff Utd, Gillingham, Middlesbrough, Plymouth, Scunthorpe, Coventry alive      Richard Jackson 13/12/1932 Rotherham, York   Richard George Mike Tomkys 14/12/1932 QPR, Fulham alive Michael George Tommy Cronin 17/12/1932 Reading, Fulham   Thomas Patrick Bernard Weakley 20/12/1932 Rotherham   alive   Derek McLean 21/12/1932 Hartlepool, Middlesbrough alive John Derek Arnold D'Arcy 13/01/1933 Accrington, Swindon alive 2018 Arnold Joseph Tommy Murray 14/01/1933 Falkirk, Leeds, QOTS, Tranmere ALIVE   David Storrar 16/01/1933 Sheff W alive 2013 David McKinnon Robert Johnston 28/01/1933 Carlisle        Alan Ross 07/02/1933 Oldham, Accrington, Bishop Auckland     Alan Wicks 08/02/1933 Reading alive 2012 Alan Hayward Graham Wood 10/02/1933 Wolves, Halifax     Peter  Dawson 19/02/1933 Crewe     Irvine Gray 27/02/1933 Gillingham, Barnsley   Irvine William George Lowden 02/03/1933 Brentford     Roy Kenyon 10/03/1933 Southport, Worcester, Bolton     Brian  Hopkins   15/03/1933 Port Vale     Peter Walker 31/03/1933 Watford ALIVE Peter Martin Eric Hodge 03/04/1933 Aldershot, Brighton Lives in RSA Eric Richard Carew Ernie  Walley 07/04/1933 Tottenham, Middlesbro, Crystal Palace ALIVE   Johnny Watkins 09/04/1933 Bristol C, Cardiff, Bristol Rovers, Chippenham ALIVE John Vincent Malcolm Tucker 12/04/1933 Grimsby     Peter Carey 14/04/1933 QPR, Leyton O, Colchester, Aldershot, Barking   Peter Richard Jimmy Mason 17/04/1933 Accrington, Chester, Crystal Palace     Arthur Evans 13/05/1933 Bury, Stockport, Gillingham     Peter MacEwan 23/05/1933 Luton South Africa Malcolm Peter  Keith  Goalen 24/05/1933 Stockport, Macclesfield ALIVE Harold Keith Brian Whitnall 25/05/1933 Scunthorpe, Exeter, Hull ALIVE   Mike  Collins  08/06/1933 Watford, Chelsea ALIVE Ronald Michael Gordon Hopkinson 19/06/1933 Bristol C, Doncaster, Cheltenham, Toronto, Margate Canada? ALIVE   Jackie Farrell 22/06/1933 Accrington        Colin  Longden 21/07/1933 Rotherham, York alive in 2018   Ivan Green 29/07/1933 Millwall, Margate alive 2018 (nr Chichester?) Ivan David John Inglis 05/08/1933 Gateshead, Blyth     Eddie Firmani 07/08/1933 Southend, Charlton, Genoa, South Africa ALIVE Edward Ronald Bill Albury 10/08/1933 Portsmouth, Gillingham, Yeovil alive in 2016 William Frederick Don Kitchenbrand 13/08/1933 Rangers, Sunderland ALIVE (RSA) Donald Basil Ron  Broad 18/08/1933 Crewe     Brian Jones 05/09/1933 Walsall, Royal Engineers     Bernard Molyneux 17/09/1933 Everton, Tranmere alive 2018   John Nesbitt 24/09/1933 Newcastle Coldstream Guards   John  Davies 26/09/1933 Portsmouth, Walsall, Scunthorpe   John Robert  Tom   McGlennon 20/10/1933 Barrow, Blackpool, Rochdale, Burton Canada?   Alan  Finney 31/10/1933 Doncaster, Sheff W ALIVE   Gordon Chilvers 15/11/1933 Walsall   Gordon Malcolm Brian  Griffiths 21/11/1933 Wrexham, Chester, Holywell, Caernarfon     Guy Trise 22/11/1933 Aldershot, Portsmouth Lives in US? Guy Gavin George Horne 23/11/1933 Carlisle, Maryhill     Gerry Francis 06/12/1933 Leeds, York alive   Jimmy Ashall 13/12/1933 Leeds United alive 1996 Gloucestershire   John  Newman 13/12/1933 Leicester, Birmingham, Plymouth, Exeter ALIVE John Henry George Keith Dibden 17/12/1933 Southampton, Gillingham ALIVE William Keith Peter Burridge 30/12/1933 Millwall, Crystal Palace, Leyton Orient, Charlton ALIVE Peter John Earl Godding 06/01/1934 Wrexham, Workington ALIVE Earl George John Brown 02/02/1934 Shrewsbury, Queens Park   John Michael Alan Gibbs 07/02/1934 Swindon, Cardiff     John Robinson 10/02/1934 Middlesbrough, Hartlepool     Leonard Geard 12/02/1934 Fulham, Brentford alive   Ken  Brown 16/02/1934 West Ham, Torquay ALIVE   Ronnie Burbeck 27/02/1934 Darlington, Hereford, Middlesbrough, Leicester alive 2021 in Hereford Ronald Thomas Brian Dobson 01/03/1934 Colchester    alive 2019 Brian Ashley Bert Brown 04/03/1934 Exeter. QPR, Crystal Palace Moved to Australia, probably dead Albert Edward Bill   Heath 15/03/1934 Bournemouth, Lincoln alive William Henry Mansell Tommy King 02/04/1934 Barrow, Holker   Thomas Frederick William Berry 04/04/1934 Mansfield, Langwith Miners     Peter Warmington 08/04/1934 Birmingham   Peter John Joseph Hall 10/04/1934 Fulham     Joseph Edgar Jimmy O'Donnell 18/04/1934 Leeds, Blackburn, Oldham     Peter McParland 25/04/1934 Aston Villa, Northern Ireland, Plymouth, Wolves alive   Adam Hogg 26/04/1934 Airdrie, Swindon, Dumbarton     Pat O'Connor 01/05/1934 Barrow, Bellshill     Bill Punton 04/05/1934 Newcastle, Norwich, Scunthorpe, Southend, Sheffield Utd ALIVE William Hamilton Graham Sissons 20/05/1934 Birmingham, Peterborough, Walsall alive John Graham Bryan Douglas 27/05/1934 Blackburn, England ALIVE   Derek Middleton 30/05/1934 York, Burton     John Parrott 05/06/1934 Scunthorpe    alive 2012 John Frank Peter Goldie 07/06/1934 Aldershot, Celtic ALIVE   Jimmy Fisher 12/06/1934 Barrow, Holker     Gordon Atherton 18/06/1934 Bury, Swindon ALIVE Francis Gordon Dai Evans 19/06/1934 Crewe   David Bob  Wilson 29/06/1934 Accrington, Norwich, Chester, Gillingham Alive 2018 in Scotland Robert Smail Whitelaw Bill Lloyd 10/07/1934 Milwall   William Frederick Denis Thompson 19/07/1934 Scunthorpe, Chesterfield alive (definitely alive 2021)   John Street 27/07/1934 Bradford C poss dead   Doug Moran 29/07/1934 Hibs, Falkirk, Ipswich, Dundee U, Cowdenbeath ALIVE Douglas William Cyril Lea  05/08/1934 Wales, Ipswich, Leyton Orient ALIVE   Jack   Dougal 07/08/1934 Halifax, Pegasus alive 2008 John Alan  Dicks 29/08/1934 Chelsea, Southend ALIVE Alan Victor Terry Swinscoe 31/08/1934 Stockport, Mansfield ALIVE   Tony Book 04/09/1934 Plymouth, Manchester City ALIVE   Bobby  Hunt 04/09/1934 Wrexham, Chester  Alive in 2011   Jimmy Scott 07/09/1934 Oldham, Burnley     George Warburton 13/09/1934 Barrow, Wrexham alive 2018   Sam Shaw 14/09/1934 Crewe     George Fagan 27/09/1934 Halifax  , Dundee St. Joseph     Ben Newton 10/10/1934 Grimsby     Joe Cooper 15/10/1934 Newcastle     Frank Blunstone 17/10/1934 Crewe, Chelsea, England ALIVE   Roy Campbell 19/10/1934 Congleton, Crewe ALIVE Congleton Bobby  Burke 05/11/1934 Burnley, Chester Probably in Northern Ireland Robert Gallee Brian  Atkinson 16/11/1934 Halifax     Bert Gebbie 18/11/1934 Bradford PA, QOTS alive 2015 in Scotland Robert Brown Robertson Sylvan Anderton 23/11/1934 QPR, Chelsea, Reading ALIVE Sylvan James Joby Dean 25/11/1934 Bradford PA, QPR, Sutton Town, Thoresby ALIVE (2024)   Billy Hunt 25/11/1934 Colchester   William Edmund Terry Dyson 29/11/1934 Tottenham, Fulham, Colchester  ALIVE   Gerry Bright 02/12/1934 Northampton, Bromsgrove     Brian  Sutton 08/12/1934 Rochdale     Ray Kirkham 16/12/1934 Mansfield    alive 2003 Raymond Neville Bernard Stonehouse 23/12/1934 Rochdale alive 2013   Colin Booth 30/12/1934 Oxford, Doncaster, Nottm F, Wolves alive in Oxford

[maryportfuncity 10,682]

Awesome work OoO - much respect.

 

Ironic in a way that these players have outlived the Football League lives of some of the clubs they played for. Seems unlikely we'll see the likes of Barrow, Workington, Chester, Bradford PA or Southport back in the league any day soon, though Barrow have lately hauled themselves into play-off contention for the National League

[ebless 203]

Report on William Simpson's 100th birthday.

 

https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/people/former-professional-football-player-turns-100-1-10032424

[Ulitzer95 12,843]

Jack Vitty is a weird one. Wikipedia uses the Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database to give a DOB as 19/1/1923. 

However, this Ancestry tree says he was born in 1926 and died in 2001. At the bottom it mentions he was a professional footballer for Charlton and Brighton.

Further add to the confusion this article from 2016 that has a recent picture of him and says he's 72 (typo? should it have said 92? or is it a rehashed old article?).

Very puzzling.

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

3 hours ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Jack Vitty is a weird one. Wikipedia uses the Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database to give a DOB as 19/1/1923. 

However, this Ancestry tree says he was born in 1926 and died in 2001. At the bottom it mentions he was a professional footballer for Charlton and Brighton.

Further add to the confusion this article from 2016 that has a recent picture of him and says he's 72 (typo? should it have said 92? or is it a rehashed old article?).

Very puzzling.

 

It's a safe bet he was born in January 1923. The government's General Records Office list an entry registered in Sedgefield, just down the road from Chilton.

 

The Ancestry tree is most likely someone put two and two together during their research and came up with five. There was a John Vitty born in Gateshead in 1926 who probably died in 2001. Our guy is very much alive in 2016.

 

The Chronical editorial age is just a copy and paste error; I found a rehash of the story dated a year later and he was still 72.

 

 

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

One of the aims of this list was that early on when U95 put the original list together, there was surprise that such a large age gap could exist between Smith and the next contender. I'm pleased that, already, we have someone who wasn't on any of the official lists now in 2nd place. And who knows, he may not be 2nd, there may yet be others to be found.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

Due to this news -  https://www.dundalkfc.com/paddy-durkan-r-i-p/, this rules out the below still being alive. (There was a tentative 2008 death date for him anyway)

John	Lavery	24/11/1919	Bradford City, halifax, Dundalk

[Sir Creep 7,071]

You're basing that conclusion on the editorial "and was believed to be the oldest surviving Dundalk player".  I'll trust your skills at researching more than whoever wrote that sentence for the paper.  Believed by WHOM to be?  Who kept track?  See.... problems with that statement (I'm the Tuskegee Airmen person so, I know the drill).  If I were you I'd put an asterisk or summat by Lavery rather than a skull+crossbones lol.  As you said above, always finding new people, or new info on existing ones.
SC

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

SC, you make very good points actually. 

With Lavery, I'm going on intuition but who would've thought Simpson was still alive. I think I'll take your advice and put him in some kind of symbol to denote thst he probably is dead but can't be sure. 

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

Edited and put Lavery in.

 

However,  Mick Nagy (b. 1929) died as long ago as 1970, so he's been removed.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

Leeds United have just celebrated their 100th birthday and as a result have found their oldest player - Royden Wood, who is NOT in the above list, having just turned 89. - https://www.thesquareball.net/leeds-united/leeds-united-1-0-birmingham-city-100-chances/

 

I'd say this is quite accurate because they've clearly gone to lengths to make sure they could find their oldest. So of those on the list that actually played for Leeds it appears to remove * (Yes, I know there's nothing certain but there's a difference between a blog post that says "believed" even if it is linked to the site and the club inviting its oldest player to a gala dinner),

 

Frank Taylor (1923)

Jock Finlay (1925)

Ralph Harrison (1926)

George Miller (1927)

 

However I think John Scott (1928) is still alive. He played 111 times for Leeds and is listed as a past president here (it is the same man if you Google - https://www.cumbria-golf-union.org.uk/executives). So was it that Scott couldn't attend and actually Wood was the oldest who could? Because that changes the whole situation.

 

FWIW, I think Taylor is likely dead, so I'll mark him as red. Miller emigrated back to South Africa so we may not know for a while if he's still alive. The other two didn't really have long careers there so could quite easily also be gone so they're all marked as red. If it wasnt for Scott, I'd be more inclined to go for certainty with the above report.

 

Ernie Whittam, Brian Woodward and Jimmy Forrest never played a league game for Leeds but were on their books.

[ebless 203]

Jimmy Elder (March 5th 1928) who played a single game for Portsmouth in November 1949 before a successful five year stint at Colchester confirmed still living at 91 by the Pompey History Society through detective work. Not even on the lists in the opening post. 

 

https://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/2019/october/last-surviving-member-of-championship-team-re-discovered/

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

Yep, because Portsmouth were adamant Leather was the oldest and all others were dead when McGhee died. 

Good, I'll amend the list

 

[Ulitzer95 12,843]

No. 8 on your alive section, Bert Mozley, has just died according to Wikipedia and Getty Images. 

[ebless 203]

10 hours ago, Ulitzer95 said:

No. 8 on your alive section, Bert Mozley, has just died according to Wikipedia and Getty Images. 

 

Derby County website obit. 

 

https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2019/10/rip-bert-mozley

[Ulitzer95 12,843]

On 31/10/2019 at 17:24, ebless said:

 

Derby County website obit. 

 

https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2019/10/rip-bert-mozley

Qualifying Obit for Bert Mozley, courtesy of The Times. 

Does anyone know who the oldest living England international is now?

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

Gordon Astall, although Bill Holmes represented Great Britain internationally. 

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

As the wonderful findmypast site is free of charge and as they have the 2007-2017 deaths available, I've been able to strike a couple more off the list.

 

Len Kane (1926) - ex Preston, Plymouth who was alive in 2010, died in 2011 - https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=BMD%2FD%2FMILLEN%2F002133997

 

Also gone:

Tom Mason (1925) ex Hartlepool

 

 

It also increases the chances - so long as they live in the UK - of some of the rarer names being alive as they're not on any death record from 1911-2017.

[Toast 16,232]

2 hours ago, Octopus of Odstock said:

As the wonderful findmypast site is free of charge and as they have the 2007-2017 deaths available, I've been able to strike a couple more off the list.

 

The GRO Death Index has recently been updated to cover deaths from 1984 to 2019 although the index only gives year of birth and not full d.o.b.

It's free to search, although you need to register.

Still a gap between 1957 and 1984, but FreeBMD has that pretty much covered.

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

19 hours ago, Toast said:

 

The GRO Death Index has recently been updated to cover deaths from 1984 to 2019 although the index only gives year of birth and not full d.o.b.

It's free to search, although you need to register.

Still a gap between 1957 and 1984, but FreeBMD has that pretty much covered.

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp

Thanks Toast!

 

Obviously no full date of birth makes it tricky to be certain we have the right man but these two have definitely gone, both in the last year.

 

DICKENS, LEO	1927
GRO Reference:  DOR  Q1/2019 in Wakefield  (097-1A)  Entry Number 518647755

 ex-Chester and Rotherham

 

ELLIOTT, FREDERICK  FRANCIS George	1929
GRO Reference:  DOR  Q4/2018 in Carmarthenshire  (822-1A)  Entry Number 518226801
ex Mansfield, Fulham, Stoke, Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil

[Leon Brittan 297]

Blackpool have just confirmed Cyril Robinson has died aged 90.  The last player from their successful 1953 fa Cup final 

[Octopus of Odstock 2,215]

Never played in the football league, but one of the oldest living footballers is Glentoran's Bertie Wright - 100 years old: 

 

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/glentoran-hero-bertie-wright-celebrates-17145318

 

Gordon Astall - a full spread by the Daily Mail, physically he looks well - he has dementia though https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7668571/His-mind-grip-dementia-Astalls-eyes-light-mention-debut.html

 

Another source that says Royden Wood is the oldest Leeds player (Scott did play in goal so I do think the other three mentioned above are dead as they are all outfield and surely someone would've brought at least one of them up) - https://theathletic.co.uk/1282784/2019/10/14/the-player-who-shared-a-dressing-room-with-stanley-matthews-and-the-beatles/

 

and finally a nice article on Bert Mozley - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/poignant-tale-of-bert-mozley-england-s-oldest-player-7gfljx9mr

 

 

[time 8,675]

Liverpool & Bolton's Johnny Wheeler dies aged 91.

[Redrumours 862]

2 hours ago, time said:

Liverpool & Bolton's Johnny Wheeler dies aged 91.

Second casualty from the Matthews 1953 FA Cup final in a week.

[ebless 203]

1 hour ago, redrumours said:

Second casualty from the Matthews 1953 FA Cup final in a week.

 

This leaves Doug Holden as this game's last surviving player.