Bert Menlove

Bert Menlove
Personal information
Full name Bertie Menlove
Date of birth (1892-12-08)8 December 1892
Place of birth St Albans, England
Date of death 3 July 1970(1970-07-03) (aged 77)
Place of death Bridge, Kent, England
Position(s) Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
?–1919 Barnet & Alston
1920 Aston Villa 0 (0)
1920–1922 Crystal Palace 65 (18)
1922–1926 Sheffield United 74 (41)
1926–1928 Boston Town
1928 Aldershot Town
1928–1929 Worksop Town
1929 Bangor Athletic
1929–1930 Clapton Orient
1930 Coleraine
1931–1934 Ashford Town
Managerial career
1932–1934 Ashford Town (player-manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Bertie Menlove (8 December 1892 – 3 July 1970)[1] was an English footballer who played as a forward in the Football League for Crystal Palace and Sheffield United.[2]

Born in St Albans, Menlove transferred in 1920 from Barnet & Alston to Aston Villa.[3] He didn't make any league appearances for Villa and moved on to Crystal Palace,[4] then of the Southern League. He scored his only hat–trick for Palace in a Southern League march versus Gillingham in March 1920.[5] The following season Palace joined the newly constituted Third Division and with Menlove scoring five goals[6] that season they topped the league and secured promotion to the Second division. Notable that season was an FA Cup win over then First Division Manchester City,[7] a game in which Menlove scored. The following season Palace achieved a 6-0 FA cup win at first division Everton[8] (this remains Everton's largest home cup defeat) with Menlove netting a couple. His tally of seven goals in the 1921–22 season[9] for now second division Palace encouraged First Division Sheffield United to sign him in the spring of 1922.[10]

During his spell (1922–1926) at Sheffield United in 81 appearances Menlove scored 43 goals[11] (41 in the league) including two hat–tricks: against Tottenham in March 1924 and Birmingham in October 1925.[12] Despite his goal scoring record Menlove did not play in Sheffield United's 1925 FA Cup Final winning team.

After leaving Sheffield United in 1926 Menlove joined Midland League Boston Town[13] for a two season stay.[14] In his first season there Boston Town were league runners-up.

Over the next few seasons he signed for a succession of clubs: at the start of the 1928-1929 season he joined Southern League Eastern Division Aldershot Town;[15] by December 1928 he had moved to Midland League Worksop Town;[16] a few weeks later, in early 1929, Menlove was at Bangor[17] in North Wales with Bangor Athletic[18] playing in the Wales National League (North). Menlove married whilst in the city;[19] for the 1929–1930 season Menlove returned to London and signed-on with Football League Division 3 South Clapton Orient[20] but featured mostly in their Southern League based reserve side; in December 1930 he crossed the Irish Sea to play with Irish League Coleraine[21]

Then there came a period of stability for three seasons playing with Kent League Ashford Town from 1931 to 1932[22] to 1933–1934.[23] In that first season the club were league runners-up and they scored an Ashford Town season record 115 league goals. He was appointed as Ashford's player-manager in April 1932[24]

Menlove died in July 1970.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Bert Menlove". Doing the 92. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  3. ^ Jörn Mårtensson, Sweden. "Menlove, Bertie". Aston Villa Player Database. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Bert Menlove". The Holmesdale Online, The Palace Supporter's Website. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  5. ^ Terry Byfield (2 July 2012). "Hat-tricks". Crystal Palace F.C. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  6. ^ Ashley R. Martin. "1920-21 Div.3". cpfc86, Crystal Palace Football Club. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  7. ^ "All time greatest F A cup giant killings Number 47". The Giant Killers. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Giant Killers 1922, Everton 0-6 Crystal Palace". The Giant Killers. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  9. ^ Ashley R. Martin. "1921-22 Div.2". cpfc86, Crystal Palace Football Club. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  10. ^ "A History of Sheffield United, Chapter 5 – War and Rebuilding 1915 – 1925". triumphanddisastersufc.blogspot.com. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  11. ^ Clarebrough and Kirkham 2008, p. 226.
  12. ^ "Blades Hat-Tricks: 01-50". Sheffield United-Mad.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  13. ^ "Football". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. 20 July 1926.
  14. ^ Mexborough and Swinton Times (11 November 1927). "Denaby Utd – Denaby Ready To Meet Southport – Boston Beaten – Dour Defence". Conisborough and Denaby Main Local History. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  15. ^ "The Week in Boston". Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian. 9 June 1928.
  16. ^ "Menlove at Worksop". Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian. 22 December 1928.
  17. ^ "At War in Bangor, page 5" (PDF). BBC.co.uk. 5 February 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  18. ^ "Football Notes.14". Flintshire County Herald. 1 February 1929.
  19. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  20. ^ "Clapton Orient". Daily Herald. 14 August 1929.
  21. ^ "Football Topics". Londonderry Sentinel. 13 December 1930.
  22. ^ "Menlove and Foulkes". Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian. 17 October 1931.
  23. ^ "Only Just. Margate's Amazing Misses". East Kent Times and Mail. 3 March 1934.
  24. ^ "Jottings". Boston Guardian. 23 April 1932.

Sources