# Alfred Strange > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alfred_Strange > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alfred_Strange.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Strange > Source revision: 1341105262 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|English footballer (1900–1978)}} {{use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Alfred Strange | image = Alf Strange.jpg | caption = Strange in the 1920s | fullname = Alfred Henry Strange | birth_date = {{birth date|1900|4|2|df=y}} | birth_place = Marehey, [Ripley, Derbyshire](/source/Ripley%2C_Derbyshire), England | death_date = {{death date and age|1978|10|3|1900|4|2|df=y}} | death_place = [Ripley, Derbyshire](/source/Ripley%2C_Derbyshire), England | height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}} | position = [Right half](/source/Wing_half); [forward](/source/Forward_(association_football)) | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Marehay Colliery | years1 = 1922–1924| clubs1 = [Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth_F.C.)| caps1 = 24| goals1 = 16 | years2 = 1924–1927| clubs2 = [Port Vale](/source/Port_Vale_F.C.)| caps2 = 95| goals2 = 25 | years3 = 1927–1935| clubs3 = [Sheffield Wednesday](/source/Sheffield_Wednesday_F.C.)| caps3 = 253| goals3 = 22 | years4 = 1935–1936| clubs4 = [Bradford Park Avenue](/source/Bradford_(Park_Avenue)_A.F.C.)| caps4 = 10| goals4 = 0 | totalcaps = 382| totalgoals = 63 | nationalyears1 = 1930–1933| nationalteam1 = [England](/source/England_national_football_team)| nationalcaps1 = 20| nationalgoals1 = 0 | manageryears1 = 1945–1947 | managerclubs1 = [Bedford Town](/source/Bedford_Town_F.C.) }} '''Alfred Henry Strange''' (2 April 1900 – 3 October 1978) was an English [footballer](/source/Association_football) who played most of his career as a [half back](/source/Wing_half) with [Sheffield Wednesday](/source/Sheffield_Wednesday_F.C.). He won 20 [cap](/source/Cap_(sport))s for [England](/source/England_national_football_team), including three as [captain](/source/Captain_(association_football)). He began his career at [Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth_F.C.), helping "Pompey" to win the [Third Division South](/source/Football_League_Third_Division_South) title in 1923–24. He then [transfer](/source/Transfer_(association_football))red to [Port Vale](/source/Port_Vale_F.C.) and impressed at the club enough to win a move to Sheffield Wednesday in February 1927. He spent eight years with the club, helping Wednesday to win the [First Division](/source/Football_League_First_Division) title in 1928–29 and 1929–30. He ended his professional career at [Bradford Park Avenue](/source/Bradford_(Park_Avenue)_A.F.C.) in 1936. Over his 14 years in the [Football League](/source/English_Football_League), he scored 63 goals in 382 league appearances. He spent a brief spell as [manager](/source/Manager_(association_football)) of [Bedford Town](/source/Bedford_Town_F.C.) after [World War II](/source/World_War_II). ==Early and personal life== Alfred Henry Strange was born on 2 April 1900 in Marehey, [Ripley, Derbyshire](/source/Ripley%2C_Derbyshire).{{cite web |title=England Players – Alf Strange |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersS/BioStrangeAH.html |website=englandfootballonline.com |access-date=12 March 2023}} He was the fourth of nine children to Alfred Henry and Mary (née Fox); his father was a hewer in the local coal mine. He attended Street Lane School and went on to follow his father into the mines. He married Elsie Cuttell in 1923 and had three children: Margaret Elsie (born 1927), Donald Henry (born 1931) and Dorothy Patricia (born 1938). After retiring from football, he settled in Ripley and worked as a poultry farmer.{{cite web|url=http://bygonederbyshire.co.uk/articles/Strange,_Alf_-_Marehay_lad_captained_England|title=Strange, Alf – Marehay lad captained England|work=bygonederbyshire.co.uk|access-date=21 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204153007/http://bygonederbyshire.co.uk/articles/Strange%2C_Alf_-_Marehay_lad_captained_England|archive-date=4 December 2008|url-status=dead}} 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= ripleyandheanornews.co.uk| url=http://www.ripleyandheanornews.co.uk/news/Links-with-history-to-be.874081.jp| access-date=3 February 2008}} ==Club career== Strange played for the Marehay Colliery team, where he was spotted by scouts from [Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth_F.C.), for whom he signed as a professional on 2 October 1922. He started his career with Portsmouth as a [centre-forward](/source/Forward_(association_football)), and in his two seasons there, he scored 16 goals from 24 league appearances, helping them to win the [Third Division South](/source/Football_League_Third_Division_South) title in [1923–24](/source/1923%E2%80%9324_Football_League). Frustrated at the lack of regular first-team opportunities at [Fratton Park](/source/Fratton_Park), Strange moved to [Second Division](/source/Football_League_Second_Division) club [Port Vale](/source/Port_Vale_F.C.) for a £500 fee on 29 October 1924.{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Jeff|title=Port Vale Personalities|publisher=Witan Books|page=282|year=1996|isbn=0-9529152-0-0}} His excellent ball control and powerful shots impressed the fans at the [Old Recreation Ground](/source/Old_Recreation_Ground), as the club enjoyed some of its most successful years with three successive eighth-place finishes. At Port Vale he was a regular selection at [inside forward](/source/inside_forward), scoring seven goals in 33 league and [FA Cup](/source/FA_Cup) games in [1924–25](/source/1924%E2%80%9325_Port_Vale_F.C._season). He claimed 17 goals in 42 games in [1925–26](/source/1925%E2%80%9326_Port_Vale_F.C._season), including a [hat-trick](/source/hat-trick) in a 4–2 win over [Clapton Orient](/source/Leyton_Orient_F.C.) on 2 January and four goals in a 5–0 victory over [Blackpool](/source/Blackpool_F.C.) on 6 February. He scored five goals in 28 appearances in the first half of the [1926–27](/source/1926%E2%80%9327_Port_Vale_F.C._season) season. On 18 February 1927, he was [transfer](/source/Transfer_(association_football))red to [Sheffield Wednesday](/source/Sheffield_Wednesday_F.C.), with [Harry Anstiss](/source/Harry_Anstiss) and "a substantial financial consideration" moving in the opposite direction. He claimed five goals in just 13 [First Division](/source/Football_League_First_Division) games in the latter half of the [1926–27](/source/1926%E2%80%9327_Football_League) campaign.{{cite web|title=Wednesday Playing Record|url=http://www.adrianbullock.com/swfc/stats/play0580.htm|work=adrianbullock.com|access-date=10 February 2013}} He was limited to only 17 appearances in the [1927–28](/source/1927%E2%80%9328_Football_League) season. After he was switched to [right half](/source/Wing_half) "his career blossomed".{{cite book | author=Graham Betts| title=England: Player by player | publisher=Green Umbrella Publishing | year=2006|page= 231| isbn=1-905009-63-1}} He was an "ever present" when Wednesday won the [Football League](/source/English_Football_League) title in [1928–29](/source/1928%E2%80%9329_Football_League), and in [the following season](/source/1929%E2%80%9330_Football_League) he missed only one league match as Wednesday claimed the title for the second consecutive year. He played in Sheffield Wednesday's 2–1 defeat by Arsenal in the [Charity Shield](/source/1930_FA_Charity_Shield) at [Stamford Bridge](/source/Stamford_Bridge_(stadium)) in October 1930.{{Cite news | work = Sheffield Independent| title = Fortune smiles on the Arsenal | date = 8 October 1930 | access-date = 22 March 2016 | page=10| via = British Newspaper Archive| url = http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001464/19301009/309/0010}} Strange played 42 games in [1930–31](/source/1930%E2%80%9331_Football_League), as Wednesday dropped to third position with [Arsenal](/source/Arsenal_F.C.) running away with the title. He scored three goals in 45 matches in [1931–32](/source/1931%E2%80%9332_Football_League), helping the club to another third-place finish behind Arsenal and champions [Everton](/source/Everton_F.C.). He claimed five goals in 43 appearances in the [1932–33](/source/1932%E2%80%9333_Football_League) season, as Wednesday made another third-place finish behind Arsenal and [Aston Villa](/source/Aston_Villa_F.C.). However, he featured just 20 times in the [1933–34](/source/1933%E2%80%9334_Football_League) season. He missed out on all but one game of the [1934–35](/source/1934%E2%80%9335_Football_League) season and was unable to play in any of Wednesday's matches in the FA Cup when they went on to win [the final](/source/1935_FA_Cup_final) against [West Bromwich Albion](/source/West_Bromwich_Albion_F.C.) 4–2. In May 1935, after 253 league and 19 cup appearances at [Hillsborough](/source/Hillsborough_Stadium), Strange transferred to Second Division side [Bradford Park Avenue](/source/Bradford_(Park_Avenue)_A.F.C.). He played the [1935–36](/source/1935%E2%80%9336_Football_League) season at [Horsfall Stadium](/source/Horsfall_Stadium) before dropping down to lower league football, returning to his place of birth to play for [Ripley Town](/source/Ripley_Town_F.C.). He also played for the [Raleigh Cycles](/source/Raleigh_Bicycle_Company) team and for [Corsham United](/source/Corsham_United_F.C.). Following [World War II](/source/World_War_II), Strange was appointed [manager](/source/Manager_(association_football)) of [Southern League](/source/Southern_Football_League) side [Bedford Town](/source/Bedford_Town_F.C.) in April 1945, a position he held until resigning in January 1947.[https://sites.google.com/site/bedfordoldeagles/the-rest/the-managers Managers and Coaches, 1945-82] Bedford Old Eagles ==International career== Strange was selected to represent the [Football League](/source/English_Football_League) three times before receiving his first [England](/source/England_national_football_team) [cap](/source/Cap_(sport)) for the match against [Scotland](/source/Scotland_national_football_team) on 5 April 1930. He played at right half as England won 5–2, with [Vic Watson](/source/Vic_Watson) and Strange's Wednesday teammate [Ellis Rimmer](/source/Ellis_Rimmer) each scoring twice. Two other Sheffield Wednesday players, [Ernie Blenkinsop](/source/Ernie_Blenkinsop) and [Billy Marsden](/source/Billy_Marsden), also played in this match.{{cite web| title= England 5 v 2 Scotland (5 April 1930)| work= englandfc.com| url= http://www.englandfc.com/MatchData/yearbyyear.php?start=1930&end=1935&gender=M&level=FULL| access-date= 3 February 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071022171355/http://englandfc.com/MatchData/yearbyyear.php?start=1930&end=1935&gender=M&level=FULL| archive-date= 22 October 2007| url-status= dead}} In May 1930, he accompanied England on a European tour where he played against [Germany](/source/Germany_national_football_team) and [Austria](/source/Austria_national_football_team), both matches being drawn. He continued to be selected for England over the next few years, being appointed [captain](/source/captain_(association_football)) for a 5–2 loss to [France](/source/France_national_football_team) on 14 May 1931 and a 3–1 win over [Wales](/source/Wales_national_football_team) on 18 November 1931.{{Englandstats|ref=y|access-date=21 June 2009}} His final England appearance came at [White Hart Lane](/source/White_Hart_Lane) on 6 December 1933, when he was able to gain "revenge" for the defeat by France two years earlier, with England winning 4–1 ([George Camsell](/source/George_Camsell) scoring twice).{{cite web|url=http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=941|title=England Player Profile|work=englandfc.com|access-date=21 June 2009|archive-date=23 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923033623/http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=941|url-status=dead}} ==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{ENFA}} |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|[FA Cup](/source/FA_Cup) !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|[Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth_F.C.) |[1922–23](/source/1922%E2%80%9323_Portsmouth_F.C._season) |[Third Division South](/source/Football_League_Third_Division_South) |13||9||1||0||0||0||14||9 |- |[1923–24](/source/1923%E2%80%9324_Portsmouth_F.C._season) |Third Division South |11||7||0||0||0||0||11||7 |- !colspan="2"|Total !24!!16!!1!!0!!0!!0!!25!!16 |- |rowspan="4"|[Port Vale](/source/Port_Vale_F.C.) |[1924–25](/source/1924%E2%80%9325_Port_Vale_F.C._season) |[Second Division](/source/Football_League_Second_Division) |30||4||3||3||0||0||33||7 |- |[1925–26](/source/1925%E2%80%9326_Port_Vale_F.C._season) |Second Division |41||17||1||0||0||0||42||17 |- |[1926–27](/source/1926%E2%80%9327_Port_Vale_F.C._season) |Second Division |24||4||4||1||0||0||28||5 |- !colspan="2"|Total !95!!25!!8!!4!!0!!0!!103!!29 |- |rowspan="10"|[Sheffield Wednesday](/source/Sheffield_Wednesday_F.C.) |[1926–27](/source/1926%E2%80%9327_The_Wednesday_F.C._season) |[First Division](/source/Football_League_First_Division) |13||5||0||0||0||0||13||5 |- |[1927–28](/source/1927%E2%80%9328_The_Wednesday_F.C._season) |First Division |15||0||2||0||0||0||17||0 |- |[1928–29](/source/1928%E2%80%9329_The_Wednesday_F.C._season) |First Division |42||5||2||0||0||0||44||5 |- |[1929–30](/source/1929%E2%80%9330_The_Wednesday_F.C._season) |First Division |41||3||6||0||0||0||47||3 |- |[1930–31](/source/1930%E2%80%9331_The_Wednesday_F.C._season) |First Division |40||0||2||0||1||0||53||0 |- |[1931–32](/source/1931%E2%80%9332_Sheffield_Wednesday_F.C._season) |First Division |40||3||5||0||0||0||45||3 |- |[1932–33](/source/1932%E2%80%9333_Sheffield_Wednesday_F.C._season) |First Division |41||5||2||0||0||0||43||5 |- |[1933–34](/source/1933%E2%80%9334_Sheffield_Wednesday_F.C._season) |First Division |20||1||0||0||0||0||20||1 |- |[1934–35](/source/1934%E2%80%9335_Sheffield_Wednesday_F.C._season) |First Division |1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !253!!22!!19!!0!!1!!0!!273!!22 |- |[Bradford Park Avenue](/source/Bradford_(Park_Avenue)_A.F.C.) |[1935–36](/source/1935%E2%80%9336_Bradford_Park_Avenue_A.F.C._season) |Second Division |10||0||0||0||0||0||10||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !382!!63!!28!!4!!1!!0!!411!!67 |} ==Honours== '''Portsmouth''' *[Football League Third Division South](/source/Football_League_Third_Division_South): [1923–24](/source/1923%E2%80%9324_Football_League) '''Sheffield Wednesday''' *[Football League First Division](/source/Football_League_First_Division): [1928–29](/source/1928%E2%80%9329_Football_League) & [1929–30](/source/1929%E2%80%9330_Football_League) *[FA Charity Shield](/source/FA_Community_Shield) runner-up: [1930](/source/1930_FA_Charity_Shield) '''England''' *[British Home Championship](/source/British_Home_Championship): [1929–30](/source/1929%E2%80%9330_British_Home_Championship), [1930–31](/source/1930%E2%80%9331_British_Home_Championship) (shared), [1931–32](/source/1931%E2%80%9332_British_Home_Championship) ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Strange, Alf}} Category:1900 births Category:1978 deaths Category:People from Ripley, Derbyshire Category:Footballers from Derbyshire Category:English men's footballers Category:England men's international footballers Category:Men's association football wing halves Category:Men's association football inside forwards Category:Portsmouth F.C. players Category:Port Vale F.C. players Category:Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players Category:Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C. players Category:Ripley Town F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:English Football League representative players Category:English football managers Category:Bedford Town F.C. managers Category:Southern Football League managers Category:20th-century English sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alfred Strange](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Strange) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Strange?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.