Pringle Harry Image 2 Grantham 1934

Description

Perkinsville, County Durham born inside forward Harry Pringle began his football career with Craghead United in 1919 and was briefly on the books of Arsenal during 1920-21 without making a first team appearance before returning to the north east to play for Chester-le-Street Town later in 1921. In the 1922 close season, Pringle joined Third Division (North) Lincoln City, making his Football League debut on 26th August 1922 in a 3-1 defeat away to Halifax Town. Pringle finished the 1922-23 season as the club’s joint leading scorer alongside Tommy Griffiths, though the pair scored only seven goals apiece.

Two years later, Pringle was again Lincoln’s top scorer, with 15 goals from 44 League and FA Cup games in a season in which he was ever present for The Imps. In all, he remained with the club for twelve seasons, becoming the first player to play in more than 300 matches for Lincoln City, finishing with 64 goals from 315 games, and set a club record (long since broken) of 292 appearances in the Football League. He married the daughter of a director of the club.

His playing style was described as that of “an enthusiastic team man, a hard working forager and provider for others, but never a great shot. His best displays have been given on heavy grounds, as apparently he experiences some difficulty in controlling a light ball.” However from the start of 1930-31 he increasingly became a fringe player and played his last game for City at home to Bury in January 1934.

Pringle left Sincil Bank in 1934 to become Grantham’s first player-manager. As a player he scored on his debut in the Midland League, and played at least occasionally until 1940. As their manager he led the club to the First Round Proper of the 1935-36 FA Cup, and won the Lincolnshire Senior Cup in 1937 for only the second time in the club’s history. However, Grantham’s financial problems meant he stepped down as manager at the start of the 1937-38 season, but stayed with the club as trainer for a further 14 years. During the 1950’s Pringle acted as trainer for the works team of Aveling Barford, the Grantham-based manufacturer of steamrollers.