Read Albert Image 1 Queen’s Park Rangers 1921

Description

Ealing, Middlesex born centre half Albert Read was an amateur footballer who began his football career with Hanwell and played for Uxbridge in 1912, representing the Middlesex FA. He joined Southern League club Queen’s Park Rangers in 1913 and played for Tufnell Park in 1914 before the onset of the First World War forced the suspension of peacetime football. During the War Read served as a signalman and a gunner with The Royal Field Artillery, and briefly served as a pilot for The Royal Air Force at the end of 1918.

After the War, Read was playing with Tufnell Park when they reached the 1920 FA Amateur Cup Final in 1920, but they were beaten 1-0 by Dulwich Hamlet at The Den. While still with Tufnell Park he was selected for England Amateurs, winning his first cap in a 4-0 win over Ireland at Cliftonville Gardens, Belfast, winning a further cap in a 2-1 defeat to France in Paris in May 1921. Two weeks later he won a full international cap for England when he played in a 2-0 victory over Belgium in Brussels.

The following month Read joined Third Division (South) club Queen’s Park Rangers, making his Football League debut against Swindon Town that August and he played 21 matches for Rangers during their 1921-22 campaign. He then signed for Reading in July 1922 and made 3 appearances for The Royals in their opening three fixtures but he missed the rest of the season after receiving a serious knee injury in his third appearance, being released at the end of the season. Read signed for Kent League club Sittingbourne in August 1923, and played for Sheppey United and then Maidstone United in 1924 before his retirement.