Harold Pearson (footballer, born 1908)

Harold Frederick Pearson (7 May 1908 – 2 November 1994)[1] was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Harold Pearson
Personal information
Full name Harold Frederick Pearson
Date of birth (1908-05-07)7 May 1908
Place of birth Tamworth, England
Date of death 2 November 1994(1994-11-02) (aged 86)
Place of death West Bromwich, England
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Belgrave United
Two Gates
Nuneaton Town
Tamworth Castle
1925 West Bromwich Albion (amateur)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1925–1937 West Bromwich Albion 281 (0)
1937–1940 Millwall 38 (0)
1939–1940 → West Ham United (guest) 1 (0)
International career
1932 England 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football career

Pearson was born in Tamworth. As a youngster he played football for Glascote United, Glascote Methodists, Belgrave YMCA, Belgrave United, Two Gates F.C., Nuneaton Town and Tamworth Castle.[A] He joined West Bromwich Albion as an amateur in April 1925 and turned professional a month later. His father Hubert Pearson was also a goalkeeper and the two were together on Albion's books until Hubert's retirement in May 1926.

Harold Pearson made his debut in December 1927, in a Division Two match against South Shields. In 1930–31 he helped the club to achieve promotion to the First Division and played in the 1931 FA Cup Final, in which Albion beat Birmingham 2–1. In 1932 he earned his only cap for England, marking the occasion with a clean sheet in a 3–0 win over Scotland at Wembley Stadium.[2]

Pearson kept goal in the 1935 FA Cup Final, but this time earned only a runners-up medal as his team lost 4–2 to Sheffield Wednesday. After making 303 appearances for West Bromwich Albion, he joined Millwall for a £300 transfer fee in August 1937. He remained with Millwall until his retirement in 1940, though he did appear as a guest player for West Ham United later in Second World War.[3]

He died in November 1994 at the age of 86. By then, he was believed to be the oldest surviving former England international.

Notes
A. ^ Some sources say that he played for Nuneaton Borough, however the team were known as Nuneaton Town at the time Pearson played for them.

References
  1. "England players: Harold Pearson". englandfootballonline. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  2. Harold Pearson at Englandstats.com, Retrieved 4 October 2018
  3. Hogg, Tony (1995). West Ham Who's Who. London: Independent UK Sports publications. p. 223. ISBN 1-899429-01-8.
  • Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion. Breedon Books. pp. 172–173. ISBN 1-85983-474-4.
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