{{short description|English footballer (1864-1941)}} {{use British English|date=June 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Alf Edge | image = | fullname = Alfred Edge<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/> | birth_date = 5 November 1864<ref name="enfa"/><ref name="BMD">{{cite web | title= FreeBMD| url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl| access-date=2018-03-25}}</ref> | birth_place = Stone, Staffordshire, England<ref name="enfa"/><ref name="BMD"/> | death_date = {{death date and age|1941|4|11|1864|10|1|df=y}}<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/> | height = | position = Inside forward | youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1884 |clubs1 = Goldenhill Wanderers |caps1 = |goals1 = | years2 = 1885–1891 |clubs2 = Stoke |caps2 = 52 |goals2 = 16 | years3 = 1891–1892 |clubs3 = Newton Heath |caps3 = 19 |goals3 = 7 | years4 = 1892 |clubs4 = Nottingham Jardines Athletic |caps4 = |goals4 = | years5 = 1892–1893 |clubs5 = Stoke |caps5 = 1 |goals5 = 1 | years6 = 1893–1894 |clubs6 = Northwich Victoria |caps6 = 3 |goals6 = 0 | years7 = 1894 |clubs7 = Ardwick |caps7 = 1 |goals7 = 0 | years8 = 1894 |clubs8 = Macclesfield |caps8 = 4 |goals8 = 2 | totalcaps = 80 |totalgoals = 26 | nationalyears1= 1891<ref>[https://www.11v11.com/matches/football-alliance-v-football-league-20-april-1891-248234/ Football Alliance v Football League, 20 April 1891], 11v11.com</ref> | nationalteam1= Football Alliance XI | nationalcaps1= 1 | nationalgoals1= 0 }} '''Alfred Edge''' (5 November 1864 – 11 April 1941) was an English footballer. His regular position was as a forward. He played for Stoke, Newton Heath, Northwich Victoria and Ardwick<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City">{{cite book|last=Matthews|first=Tony|title=The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City|year=1994|publisher=Lion Press|isbn=0-9524151-0-0}}</ref>
==Career== Edge was born in Stone, Staffordshire, and played for a Staffordshire side Goldenhill Wanderers before joining Stoke in 1885.<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/> He became a useful forward for Stoke and scored five goals in a 10–1 win over Caernarfon Wanderers in the FA Cup during the 1886–87 season.<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/> He was a member of the Stoke squad in their first two seasons in the Football League. He made his League debut on 8 September 1888, as a forward for Stoke in a 2–0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion at the Victoria Ground. His debut League goal was scored on 1 December 1888 in a 2–1 victory against Blackburn Rovers. In 1889–90 he played 19 of the 22 League matches played by Stoke scoring three goals.<ref name="enfa"/> Like the rest of the team Edge struggled in the first two seasons, Stoke failed to gain re-election and joined the Football Alliance. Stoke were much more successful as they finished as champions of the Alliance with Edge scoring 12 goals.<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/>
Stoke re-gained their place in the Football League but Edge stayed in the Alliance signing for Manchester based Newton Heath.<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/> Whilst at Newton Heath he was suspended by the FA for also playing for Nottingham Jardines Athletic. His ban was lifted after an investigation and he re-joined Stoke in 1892. He played one match for Stoke which came in a 7–1 victory against his old club Newton Heath.<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/> He later went on to play for Northwich Victoria, Ardwick and finished his football career with Macclesfield.<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/>
==Style of play== In one source described as an exceptionally fine footballer; a versatile forward with loads of skill quick over short distances and who never gave up the ghost.<ref>{{cite book|last=Matthews|first=Tony|title=The Who's Who of Stoke City|year=2005|publisher=Breedon Books|isbn=1-85983-473-6|page=72}}</ref>
==Career statistics== Source:<ref name="enfa">{{ENFA}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="7"|Stoke |1885–86 |— |colspan="2"|—||2||0||2||0 |- |1886–87 |— |colspan="2"|—||2||6||2||6 |- |1887–88 |— |colspan="2"|—||4||2||4||2 |- |1888–89 |Football League |19||3||1||0||20||3 |- |1889–90 |Football League |11||1||4||3||15||4 |- |1890–91 |Football Alliance |22||12||3||0||25||12 |- !colspan=2|Total !52!!16!!16!!11!!68!!27 |- |Newton Heath |1891–92 |Football Alliance |19||7||3||3||22||10 |- |Stoke<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/> |1892–93 |First Division |1||1||0||0||1||1 |- |Northwich Victoria |1893–94<ref name="enfa"/> |Second Division |3||0||0||0||3||0 |- |Ardwick |1893–94<ref name="enfa"/> |Second Division |1||0||0||0||1||0 |- |Macclesfield |1893–94<ref>{{cite web|title=Player Profiles|url=http://www.silkmenarchives.org.uk/manager_and_player_profiles/Players/e.html|website=Silkmen Archives|access-date=16 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115000823/http://www.silkmenarchives.org.uk/manager_and_player_profiles/Players/e.html|archive-date=15 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> |The Combination |4||2||0||0||4||2 |- !colspan="3"|Career Total !80!!26!!19!!14!!99!!40 |}
==Honours== ;Stoke *Football Alliance: 1890–91
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.mufcinfo.com/manupag/a-z_player_archive/a-z_player_archive_pages/edge_alfred.html MUFCInfo.com profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edge, Alf}} Category:1864 births Category:1941 deaths Category:Footballers from Stone, Staffordshire Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football inside forwards Category:Stoke City F.C. players Category:Manchester United F.C. players Category:Jardine's Athletic F.C. players Category:Northwich Victoria F.C. players Category:Manchester City F.C. players Category:Macclesfield Town F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:Football Alliance players