{{short description|English footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}} {{Use British English|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Harry Anstiss | fullname = Henry Augustus Anstiss<ref name="LOTFWW" /> | image = H Anstiss - Millwall.jpg | image_size = 150 | caption = Anstiss with Millwall in 1922. | birth_date = {{birth date|1899|08|22|df=y}}<ref name="Kent" /> | birth_place = Hampstead, London<ref name="Kent" /> | death_date = {{death date and age|1964|03|09|1899|08|22|df=y}}<ref name="Kent" /> | death_place = Isleworth, London<ref name="Kent" /> | height = {{height|ft=5|in=9+1/2}}<ref>{{cite news |title=League clubs and their players for the coming season. Rochdale |newspaper=Athletic News |location=Manchester |date=4 August 1924 |page=3}}</ref> | position = Inside forward | youthyears1 = 1919–1920 | youthclubs1 = Hammersmith Athletic | years1 = 1920–1922 | clubs1 = Brentford | caps1 = 42 | goals1 = 19 | years2 = 1922–1923 | clubs2 = Millwall | caps2 = 19 | goals2 = 3 | years3 = 1923–1924 | clubs3 = Watford | caps3 = 18 | goals3 = 5 | years4 = 1924–1925 | clubs4 = Rochdale | caps4 = 72 | goals4 = 39 | years5 = 1926–1927 | clubs5 = Sheffield Wednesday | caps5 = 12 | goals5 = 5 | years6 = 1927–1931 | clubs6 = Port Vale | caps6 = 109 | goals6 = 36 | years7 = 1931–1932 | clubs7 = Swansea Town | caps7 = 28 | goals7 = 6 | years8 = 1932–1934 | clubs8 = Crewe Alexandra | caps8 = 30 | goals8 = 7 | years9 = 1934–1935 | clubs9 = Gillingham | caps9 = 33 | goals9 = 6 | years10 = 1935–1936 | clubs10 = Tunbridge Wells Rangers | caps10 = | goals10 = | totalcaps = 363+ | totalgoals = 126+ | years11 = 1936–1937 | clubs11 = Cray Wanderers | caps11 = | goals11 = }}
'''Henry Augustus Anstiss''' (22 August 1899 – 9 March 1964) was a much-travelled English footballer who played as an inside-forward for Hammersmith Athletic, Brentford, Millwall, Watford, Rochdale, Sheffield Wednesday, Port Vale, Swansea Town, Crewe Alexandra, Gillingham, Tunbridge Wells Rangers and Cray Wanderers in the 1920s and 1930s. His most significant spell was with Port Vale, with whom he won the Third Division North title in 1929–30.
==Career== Anstiss played for Hammersmith Athletic,<ref name="vintagefootballers">{{Cite web |title=Anstiss Harry Millwall 1922 |url=http://vintagefootballers.com/product/anstiss-harry-image-1-millwall-1922/ |website=Vintage Footballers |language=en-GB |access-date=23 December 2018}}</ref> before joining Brentford, Millwall, Watford, Rochdale and Sheffield Wednesday, before joining Port Vale in February 1927, along with 'a substantial financial consideration' in exchange for Alfred Strange.<ref name="Kent">{{Cite book |last=Kent |first=Jeff |title=Port Vale Personalities |publisher=Witan Books |year=1996 |isbn=0-9529152-0-0 |page=8}}</ref> Strange went on to become an England international. Anstiss did not head in the same direction.<ref name="Kent" /> He had a great start to his Vale career, though, scoring on his debut at the Old Recreation Ground in a 6–2 win over Notts County on 26 February.<ref name="Kent" /> He went on to score a hat-trick in a 7–1 home win over Fulham on 2 April and claimed 11 goals in 15 Second Division games in the 1926–27 campaign.<ref name="Kent" /> This was the end of his purple patch, as he scored five goals in 32 games in the 1927–28 season.<ref name="Kent" /> Injury brought him down in November 1928 and limited him to three goals in 17 matches in the 1928–29 relegation season.<ref name="Kent" /> He scored 15 goals in 37 appearances in the 1929–30 season, as the "Valiants" were crowned champions of the Third Division North.<ref name="Kent" /> He fell from favour in October 1930 and was limited to six goals in 17 games in the 1930–31 season.<ref name="Kent" /> He was transferred to Swansea Town in May 1931.<ref name="Kent" /> Later he played for Crewe Alexandra, Gillingham, Tunbridge Wells Rangers and Cray Wanderers.<ref name="vintagefootballers" />
== Personal life == Anstiss served as a Boy 1st Class in the Royal Navy during the First World War.<ref name="LOTFWW">{{Lives of WWI|id=6321049}}</ref> Aged just 16, he saw action at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 and served on ''HMS Royal Oak''.<ref name="LOTFWW" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Profile |url=http://www.watfordfcarchive.com/downloads/players/+Abdi-Aston.pdf |website=watfordfcarchive.com |access-date=26 August 2015}}</ref> He joined the crew of ''HMS Powerful'' the following year.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fielding |first1=Rob |title=The promotion winning Port Vale player who fought in WW1's major sea battle |url=https://www.onevalefan.co.uk/2021/06/the-promotion-winning-port-vale-player-who-fought-in-ww1s-major-sea-battle/ |access-date=9 June 2021 |work=onevalefan.co.uk |date=2021-06-09}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! rowspan="2" |Division ! colspan="2" |League ! colspan="2" |FA Cup ! colspan="2" |Other ! colspan="2" |Total |- !Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- | rowspan="3" |Brentford |1920–21<ref name="White">{{Cite book |title=100 Years Of Brentford |publisher=Brentford FC |year=1989 |isbn=0951526200 |editor-last=White |editor-first=Eric |page=366}}</ref> |Third Division |19||4||0||0||0||0||19||4 |- |1921–22<ref name="White" /> |Third Division South |23||15||2||0||0||0||25||15 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !42!!19!!2!!0!!0!!0!!44!!19 |- |Millwall |1922–23<ref>{{Cite web |title=Millwall Season 22/23 Stats |url=http://www.millwall-history.org.uk/Millwall-Stats22-23.htm |website=www.millwall-history.org.uk |access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref> |Third Division South |19||3||0||0||0||0||19||3 |- |Watford |1923–24<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watford Football Club archive 1881–2017 – 1920/21 to 1929/30 |url=http://www.watfordfcarchive.com/downloads/seasons/Seasons1920to1930.pdf |access-date=19 April 2018 |archive-date=20 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420074556/http://www.watfordfcarchive.com/downloads/seasons/Seasons1920to1930.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> |Third Division South |18||5||4||0||0||0||22||5 |- | rowspan="3" |Rochdale |1924–25<ref name="ENFA">{{ENFA}}</ref> |Third Division North |42||23||2||0||0||0||45||23 |- |1925–26<ref name="ENFA" /> |Third Division North |30||16||0||0||0||0||30||16 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !72!!39!!2!!0!!0!!0!!74!!39 |- |The Wednesday |1926–27<ref>{{Cite web |title=H Anstiss |url=http://www.adrianbullock.com/swfc/stats/play0004.htm |website=www.adrianbullock.com |access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref> |First Division |12||5||0||0||0||0||12||5 |- | rowspan="6" |Port Vale |1926–27<ref name="Kent" /> |Second Division |15||11||0||0||0||0||15||11 |- |1927–28<ref name="Kent" /> |Second Division |29||3||3||2||0||0||32||5 |- |1928–29<ref name="Kent" /> |Second Division |17||3||0||0||0||0||17||3 |- |1929–30<ref name="Kent" /> |Third Division North |33||13||3||2||0||0||36||15 |- |1930–31<ref name="Kent" /> |Second Division |15||6||2||0||0||0||21||6 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !109!!36!!8!!4!!0!!0!!117!!40 |- | rowspan="3" |Swansea Town |1931–32<ref name="Kent" /> |Second Division |22||6||1||0||0||0||23||6 |- |1932–33<ref name="ENFA" /> |Second Division |6||0||0||0||0||0||6||0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !28!!6!!1!!0!!0!!0!!29!!6 |- |Crewe Alexandra |1933–34<ref name="ENFA" /> |Third Division North |30||7||0||0||1||0||31||7 |- |Gillingham |1934–35<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gillingham FC Career Details |url=http://www.gillinghamfcscrapbook.co.uk/DisplayPlayer.php?playername=Anstiss%2CHarry |access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref> |Third Division South |33||6||1||0||0||0||34||6 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !363!!126!!18!!4!!1!!0!!372!!130 |}
==Honours== '''Port Vale''' *Football League Third Division North: 1929–30<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kent |first=Jeff |title=The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale |publisher=Witan Books |year=1990 |isbn=0-9508981-4-7 |pages=124–150 |chapter=From Glory to Despair (1929–1939)}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}} {{commons category}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anstiss, Harry}} Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Camden Category:People from Hampstead Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football inside forwards Category:Royal Navy personnel of World War I Category:Brentford F.C. players Category:Millwall F.C. players Category:Watford F.C. players Category:Rochdale A.F.C. players Category:Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players Category:Port Vale F.C. players Category:Swansea City A.F.C. players Category:Crewe Alexandra F.C. players Category:Gillingham F.C. players Category:Tunbridge Wells F.C. players Category:Cray Wanderers F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:1899 births Category:1964 deaths Category:20th-century English sportsmen