Fred Morley (footballer)

Frederick Morley (1 March 1888 – 4 June 1970) was an English professional football inside forward who began his career in England before finishing it in the American Soccer League. He was born in Burslem, England.

Fred Morley
Morley with Brentford in 1919.
Personal information
Full name Frederick Morley[1]
Date of birth (1888-03-01)1 March 1888
Place of birth Burslem, England
Date of death 4 June 1970(1970-06-04) (aged 82)
Place of death Bristol, Rhode Island, United States
Position(s) Inside Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1909 Reading
1909–1912 Blackpool 80 (22)
1913–1915 Goole Town
1918–1921 Brentford 48 (8)
1921–1922 Philadelphia Field Club 21 (6)
1922–1923 J&P Coats 19 (1)
1923–1927 Fall River Marksmen 80 (17)
1928–1929 J&P Coats 2 (0)
Teams managed
Fall River Marksmen
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Morley began his career with Reading of the Southern League. In 1909, he transferred to Blackpool, then in the Second Division. He saw time in eighty league games before leaving the team in 1912. There is a six-year gap in his career records as he is then shown signing with Brentford in August 1918.[2] In March 1921, Morley injured his knee. Trainers informed him it was most likely a career-ending injury. Morley left England and moved to the United States. That Fall, he signed with Philadelphia Field Club of the American Soccer League. Philadelphia was created when Bethlehem Steel moved to Philadelphia for the inaugural ASL season. A powerhouse team, Philadelphia took the league championship, but the ownership moved it back to Bethlehem at the end of the season. Morley moved to J&P Coats for one season before joined the Fall River Marksmen in 1923. During his four seasons in Fall River, Morley and his teammates won three league titles and two National Challenge Cup titles. While Morley was never a prolific goal scorer, in the 1924 National Challenge Cup final, he scored two goals as the Marksmen defeated St. Louis Vesper Buick 4–2. Morley's career records have another gap between 1927 and 1928 when he is not listed with any team. In 1928, he signed with J&P Coats, but played only two games before retiring. Following his retirement, he coached the Fall River Marksmen.[3]

Personal life

Morley served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during the First World War.[4]

Honours

Brentford

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 210. ISBN 190589161X.
  2. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 365–366. ISBN 0951526200.
  3. Jose, Colin (1998). American Soccer League, 1921–1931 (Hardback). The Scarecrow Press. (ISBN 0-8108-3429-4).
  4. Bystander, The (1920). Brentford Football Club Official Handbook 1920–21. F. W. Dimbleby & Sons. p. 18.
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