Strange, Alf - Marehay lad captained England

A 1930s cigarette card of Alf Strange in his Sheffield Wednesday strip

ALFRED HENRY STRANGE - known to all as Alf Strange - was one of the select group of men born in Derbyshire to play association football for England. He appeared at right-half in 20 games for his country between 1930 and 1934 and was England captain on three occasions.

Alf Strange was born in Marehay, near Ripley, Derbyshire, on 2 April 1900. He began his football career with the Marehay Colliery team, and was signed by Portsmouth in December 1922. From there he moved to Port Vale in October 1924, but his big transfer was to Sheffield Wednesday in February 1927. He went on to play 253 League games for the Owls, scoring 22 goals.

In May 1935 he made his final professional move to Bradford Park Avenue, and later wound up his career with non-League Ripley Town. His overall career statistics from 1922 to 1936 were 382 League games and 63 goals.

He was also a fine cricketer, playing many games for Marehay Cricket Club. Sporting talent ran in the family - his son Don Strange played football for Ripley Miners Welfare and Ripley all Stars in the 1950s - those clubs feature elsewhere on the Bygone Derbyshire website.

Later in life Alf Strange became a poultry farmer in the Ripley area. He died in Ripley in October 1978. In 1979 a room at the Ripley Leisure Centre was named the Alf Strange Room in his honour.

Pages linking here

Three Lions On Their Shirt - England Footballers Born In Derbyshire

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