# Freddy Capper

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**Alfred Capper** (8 May 1892 – 31 October 1955) was an English [footballer](/source/Association_football) who played as an [outside forward](/source/Outside_forward).[1] Born in [Knutsford](/source/Knutsford), [Cheshire](/source/Cheshire), he played for [Northwich Victoria](/source/Northwich_Victoria_F.C.), [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United_F.C.), [Witton Albion](/source/Witton_Albion_F.C.), [Sheffield Wednesday](/source/Sheffield_Wednesday_F.C.) and [Brentford](/source/Brentford_F.C.).

## Career

Born in [Winnington](/source/Winnington), a village just outside [Northwich](/source/Northwich), [Cheshire](/source/Cheshire), the son of Joseph Capper.[3] He started work as an apprentice fitter at an alkali works.[4] Capper began his football career with various clubs in the village, before joining [Manchester League](/source/Manchester_Football_League) side [Northwich Victoria](/source/Northwich_Victoria_F.C.).[5] In January 1911, he joined [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United_F.C.) on an amateur contract, just three months before the team won their second [First Division](/source/Football_League_First_Division) title.[5] Capper's debut came on 23 March 1912, when a spate of injuries – including one to regular outside left [George Wall](/source/George_Wall) – forced Manchester United to select three debutants for a 1–1 draw with [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool_F.C.) at [Old Trafford](/source/Old_Trafford).[5] Capper was later criticised for holding onto the ball too much and failing to use his pace to beat opposing defenders, and he never played for Manchester United again.[5]

In May 1913, he was transfer listed and moved to [Lancashire Combination](/source/Lancashire_Combination) side [Witton Albion](/source/Witton_Albion_F.C.).[5] During the 1913–14 season, he was part of the Witton Albion side that won the Lancashire Combination Second Division, leading to his return to the Football League with First Division [Sheffield Wednesday](/source/Sheffield_Wednesday_F.C.) in May 1914.[5] Despite the outbreak of the [First World War](/source/World_War_I) in July 1914, the entire 1914–15 season was completed before football was suspended until 1919; Capper made 24 league appearances during the season, as well as one in the [FA Cup](/source/FA_Cup), scoring four league goals. One of these goals came in a 7–0 win over [Bolton Wanderers](/source/Bolton_Wanderers_F.C.) on 1 March 1915, in which all five forwards and two half-backs got on the scoresheet.[5]

He spent two more seasons with Sheffield Wednesday after the war, making 37 more appearances,[6] before moving to [Brentford](/source/Brentford_F.C.) in August 1921, who had finished 21st out of 22 teams in the inaugural season of the [Third Division South](/source/Football_League_Third_Division_South).[7] On 11 February 1922, Capper became the first Brentford player to be [sent off](/source/Red_card_(association_football)), receiving his marching orders from referee and future Brentford manager [Harry Curtis](/source/Harry_Curtis_(football_manager)).[8] In three seasons with Brentford, he made over 100 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals.[9]

## Personal life

Capper served as a [second corporal](/source/Second_corporal) with the Inland Water Transport section of the [Royal Engineers](/source/Royal_Engineers) during the [First World War](/source/First_World_War).[10]

## References

**General**

- Dykes, Garth (1994). *The United Alphabet: A Complete Who's Who of Manchester United F.C.*. Leicester: ACL & Polar Publishing (UK). ISBN 0-9514862-6-8.
- Joyce, Michael (2012). *Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939*. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 978-1905891610.

**Specific**

1. Joyce, Michael (2012). *Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939*. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 51. ISBN 978-1905891610.

1. ["Capper Freddy Image 1 Brentford 1923"](http://vintagefootballers.com/product/capper-freddy-image-1-brentford-1923/). *Vintage Footballers*. Retrieved 23 December 2018.

1. 1901 Census RG 13 Piece 3341 Folio 63 Page 23 Schedule 127

1. 1911 Census RG 14 RD 447 ED 9 Schedule 181

1. Dykes (1994), p. 70.

1. ["A Capper"](http://www.adrianbullock.com/swfc/stats/play0100.htm). The Wednesday Archive. Retrieved 7 August 2014.

1. ["Football Club History Database – Brentford"](https://www.fchd.info/BRENTFOR.HTM). *www.fchd.info*. Retrieved 22 May 2016.

1. Chapman, Mark. ["Remembering The Guvnor: Harry Curtis"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115016/http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk//news/article/remembering-the-guvnor-harry-curtis-2920406.aspx). *www.brentfordfc.co.uk*. Archived from [the original](http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/news/article/remembering-the-guvnor-harry-curtis-2920406.aspx) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.

1. Haynes, Graham & Coumbe, Frank (2006). *Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006*. Yore Publications. p. 34. ISBN 978-0955294914.

1. ["Alfred Capper | Service Record | Football and the First World War"](http://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org/alfred-capper-service-record/). *Football and the First World War*. Retrieved 3 December 2017.

## External links

- [Profile](http://www.stretfordend.co.uk/playermenu/capper.html) at StretfordEnd.co.uk
- [Profile](http://www.adrianbullock.com/swfc/stats/play0100.htm) at The Wednesday Archive
- [Profile](http://brentfordfchistory.co.uk/player.php?id=116) at Brentford Football Club History

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Freddy Capper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddy_Capper) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddy_Capper?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.