Nash Teddy Image 1 Swindon Town 1922

Description

Swindon, Wiltshire born goalkeeper Teddy Nash began his football career at the end of the First World War, playing for Gorse Hill Boys in 1918 and North End Albion in 1919, from where he signed for newly elected hometown Third Division club Swindon Town in August 1920, playing in their inaugural League fixture the same month, a 9-1 thumping of Luton Town. However he lost his place after 5 matches to Len Skiller, and remained Skiller’s understudy in 1920-21 before taking the gloves at the start of the 1922-23 season, when he was ever present.

However he lost his place in November 1923 to Ossie Randall, and played only once for The Robins in 1924-25, before reclaiming the gloves in September 1925 in the third match of the season, after which he remained ever present for the season. He again lost his place in September 1926, this time to Jack Bourne, but reclaimed it in October 1927 and stayed ever present for Swindon until August 1929, missing only 6 matches during 1929-30. However he lost his place in April 1930 after conceding 11 goals in two matches, and he left Swindon Town to join Third Division (South) rivals Brentford in September 1930 after 250 matches for Swindon over ten seasons.

He played 64 matches for Brentford over the next two seasons but lost his place to Dave Smith in April 1932 and transferred to Crystal Palace in August 1932, but at Selhurst Park he was understudy to Ronald Dunn and played only once for The Eagles in a defeat to Queen’s Park Rangers in January 1933 before retiring.

Nash was also a very good cricketer, being a wicket keeper and right handed batsman, and made his debut in county cricket for Wiltshire in the 1923 Minor Counties Championship against the Surrey Second XI. Prior to the start of World War II in 1939, Nash made 110 appearances for Wiltshire in the Minor Counties Championship. In 1936, Nash made his first class for a combined Minor Counties team against Oxford University at the University Parks. In a drawn match, Nash made scores of 45 not out in the Minor Counties first innings, while in their second innings he was dismissed for a duck by Peter Whitehouse.

The following season, he made a second first class appearance in a repeat of the previous season’s fixture. Nash made scores of 9 not out in the Minor Counties first innings, while in their second innings he ended not out on 8. Oxford University won the match by 6 wickets. Following the Second World War, Nash made five further appearances in the Minor Counties Championship for Wiltshire, the last of which came against the Hampshire Second XI in 1950.