Freddy Capper

Alfred Capper (8 May 1892 – 31 October 1955) was an English footballer who played as an outside forward.[1] Born in Knutsford, Cheshire, he played for Northwich Victoria, Manchester United, Witton Albion, Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford.

Freddy Capper
Capper while with Brentford in 1922.
Personal information
Full name Alfred Capper[1]
Date of birth 8 May 1892
Place of birth Winnington, England[2]
Date of death 31 October 1955(1955-10-31) (aged 63)
Place of death Northwich, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Outside forward
Youth career
Winnington Park School
Winnington Bible Class
1909–1910 Northwich Church Lads
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1910–1911 Northwich Victoria
1911–1913 Manchester United 1 (0)
1913–1914 Witton Albion
1914–1921 Sheffield Wednesday 59 (4)
1921–1924 Brentford 96 (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Born in Winnington, a village just outside Northwich, 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 side Northwich Victoria.[5] In January 1911, he joined Manchester United on an amateur contract, just three months before the team won their second 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 – forced Manchester United to select three debutants for a 1–1 draw with Liverpool at 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 side Witton Albion.[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 in May 1914.[5] Despite the outbreak of the First World War 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, scoring four league goals. One of these goals came in a 7–0 win over Bolton Wanderers 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 in August 1921, who had finished 21st out of 22 teams in the inaugural season of the Third Division South.[7] On 11 February 1922, Capper became the first Brentford player to be sent off, receiving his marching orders from referee and future Brentford manager Harry Curtis.[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 with the Inland Water Transport section of the Royal Engineers during the 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 190589161X.
Specific
  1. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 51. ISBN 190589161X.
  2. "Capper Freddy Image 1 Brentford 1923". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  3. 1901 Census RG 13 Piece 3341 Folio 63 Page 23 Schedule 127
  4. 1911 Census RG 14 RD 447 ED 9 Schedule 181
  5. Dykes (1994), p. 70.
  6. "A Capper". The Wednesday Archive. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  7. "Football Club History Database – Brentford". www.fchd.info. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  8. Chapman, Mark. "Remembering The Guvnor: Harry Curtis". www.brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  9. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 34. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  10. "Alfred Capper | Service Record | Football and the First World War". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  • Profile at StretfordEnd.co.uk
  • Profile at The Wednesday Archive
  • Profile at Brentford Football Club History
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