Fred Morley (footballer)

Fred Morley
	Morley with Brentford in 1919.
Personal information
Full name	Frederick Morley
Date of birth	1 March 1888
Place of birth	Burslem, England
Date of death	4 June 1970 (aged 82)
Place of death	Bristol, Rhode Island, United States
Position(s)	Inside Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team
1909	Reading
1909–1912	Blackpool
1913–1915	Goole Town
1918–1921	Brentford
1921–1922	Philadelphia Field Club
1922–1923	J&P Coats
1923–1927	Fall River F.C.
1928–1929	J&P Coats
Managerial career
	Fall River F.C.
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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.

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 F.C. 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 F.C.^[3]

Personal life

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

Honours

Brentford

London Combination: 1918–19^[2]

References

^ Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 210. ISBN 978-1905891610.
^ ^a ^b White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 365–366. ISBN 0951526200.
^ Jose, Colin (1998). American Soccer League, 1921–1931 (Hardback). The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-3429-4. ().
^ Bystander, The (1920). Brentford Football Club Official Handbook 1920–21. F. W. Dimbleby & Sons. p. 18.

[1] Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 210. ISBN 978-1905891610.

[White-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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