Alf Middleton

Alf Middleton
Personal information
Full nameAlfred Middleton
BornNuneaton, Warwickshire, England[1]
DiedEngland
Playing information
PositionSecond-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1928–36 Salford 285 67 25 251
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1931 England 1 0 0 0 0
1929 Great Britain 1 1 0 0 1
Source: [2][3][4]

Alfred "Alf" Middleton was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Salford (captain c. 1929–30 season), as a second-row.[2]

Playing career

Salford

Middleton had previously played rugby union for Nuneaton RFC and Coventry RFC before switching to rugby league and joining Salford.[5] He debuted for the club in November 1928.[6]

Alf Middleton was one of the players who successfully toured in France with Salford in 1934, during which the Salford team earned the name "Les Diables Rouges", the seventeen players were; Joe Bradbury, Bob Brown, Aubrey Casewell, Paddy Dalton, Bert Day, Cliff Evans, Jack Feetham, George Harris, Barney Hudson, Emlyn Jenkins, Alf Middleton, Sammy Miller, Harold Osbaldestin, Les Pearson, Gus Risman, Billy Watkins and Billy Williams.[7]

Middleton played right-second-row in Salford's 3–15 defeat by Wigan in the Championship Final during the 1933–34 season Final at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 28 April 1934.[8]

Middleton played for the club in four Lancashire Cup finals; there was Salford's 2–15 defeat by Warrington in the 1929 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1929–30 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 23 November 1929, the 10–8 victory over Swinton in the 1931 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1931–32 season at The Cliff, Broughton, Salford on Saturday 21 November 1931, the 21–12 victory over Wigan in the 1934 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1934–35 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 20 October 1934, and the 15–7 victory over Wigan in the 1935 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1935–36 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 19 October 1935.

International honours

Alf Middleton won a cap for England while at Salford in 1931 against Wales,[3] and won a cap for Great Britain while at Salford in 1929 against Australia.[4]

Post-playing

Middleton retired from rugby league in 1936 to focus on his business ventures.[9] He later returned to the sport as an administrator, and was appointed as club secretary at Hull in 1945,[10] before taking up a similar role at Barrow a year later.[11]

References

  1. ^ Morris, Graham (2001). 100 Greats: Salford Rugby League Club. Stroud: Tempus. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-7524-2196-4.
  2. ^ a b "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Alf Middleton". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 9 August 1946. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "History & Heritage". Salford Red Devils. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  7. ^ "The story of The Original Red Devils". reds.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  8. ^ "1933-1934 Championship Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Former Coventry F.C. player retires". Coventry Evening Telegraph (Sporting ed.). 29 August 1936. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Mr A. Middleton". Hull Daily Mail. 11 August 1945. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Alf Middleton". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 9 August 1946. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.