{{short description|English footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use British English|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Harry John Almond | image = | caption = | fullname = Harry John Almond<ref name="Matthews"/> | birth_date = 17 April 1850 | birth_place = Westminster, London, England | death_date = 12 March 1910 (aged 59)<ref name="Matthews"/> | death_place = At Sea, Venezuela<ref name="Matthews"/> | position = Centre-forward | years1 = 1867–1868 | clubs1 = Charterhouse School | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 1868–1869 | clubs2 = Stoke Ramblers | caps2 = | goals2 = }} '''Harry John Almond''' (17 April 1850 – 12 March 1910) helped form Stoke Ramblers (now Stoke City) in the 1860s.<ref name="Matthews">{{cite book|last=Matthews|first=Tony|title=The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City|year=1994|publisher=Lion Press|isbn=0-9524151-0-0}}</ref>
==Life and career== Almond was born in Westminster, London in 1850. He attended the private Charterhouse School where he played association football with his house team Gownboys and the School's team.<ref name="Matthews"/> Almond had a major role in forming Stoke Ramblers believed to have been in 1863 when Railway students from the Charterhouse School moved to Stoke-upon-Trent to work as apprentices for the North Staffordshire Railway.<ref name="Matthews"/> Amongst them was Henry Almond who was a keen sportsman and it is believed that he introduced organised club football to the local workers, although there is no record that matches took place.<ref name="Matthews"/> However, in 1868 it was reported in ''The Field'' newspaper that Stoke Ramblers had been formed with Almond as its captain and the club was to play under association football rules.<ref name="Matthews"/> It remains unclear as to whether Stoke played any matches from 1863 to 1868.<ref name="Matthews"/> He played in and scored the first ever Stoke goal against E.W May's XV in a friendly on 17 October 1868.<ref name="Matthews"/> He left Staffordshire soon after to continue his career in railway.<ref name="Matthews"/> Later he became a successful Civil Engineer, going abroad to work in Costa Rica for the Venezuela-based La Guayra and Caracas Railway Company. He died at sea the age of 60.<ref name="Matthews"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Almond, Harry}} Category:1850 births Category:1910 deaths Category:English men's footballers Category:Stoke City F.C. players Category:Men's association football forwards Category:People who died at sea Category:Footballers from the City of Westminster Category:People from Westminster