Boland Dicky Image 1 Gateshead 1932

Description

Marley Hill, County Durham born outside left Dicky Bolland began his football career with White-le-Head Rangers from where he signed for Third Division (North) club Hartlepools United in July 1925, making his Football League debut against Bradford Park Avenue in February 1926. He established himself in The Monkeyhangers’ first team from the following December, and scored 9 goals in 65 appearances for Hartlepools before being signed by Reading in July 1928. However he was restricted to a single first team appearance for The Biscuitmen at Port Vale in February 1929, and he moved on to Fulham in May 1929, where he was again mainly in the reserves for two seasons, making 6 appearances for The Cottagers during 1929-30 and none at all the next season.

Boland re-invigorated his career with a move to Gateshead in July 1931, where he scored 10 goals during the 1931-32 campaign as Gateshead finished runners up in the Third Division (North), narrowly missing out on promotion, which included a hat-trick in a win at Crewe Alexandra in November 1931. He enjoyed three seasons as a regular on the left wing for Gateshead before joining Crewe Alexandra in July 1934 after 16 goals in exactly 100 appearances for The Head. He then lost his place in October 1934 before coming back into Crewe’s team in March 1935, playing out the rest of the season, scoring twice in 21 appearances for The Railwaymen before a return to north east non league football, first with Walker Celtic and finally with Ouston United before his eventual retirement.

NB the photograph was taken before the League match between Walsall and Gateshead at Fellows Park on 15th October 1932. Walsall won the match 2-0.