Brallisford Albert Image 1 Darlington 1937

Description

Belle Vue, Hartlepool, County Durham born centre forward Albert Brallisford began his football career in local junior football with West Hartlepool Perseverance in 1930 and Trimdon Grange Colliery in 1931 before Brallisford joined Southport in 1932, still an amateur, making his Football League debut in a 4-2 defeat at hometown club Hartlepools United, in which he scored for the Sandgrounders. This was however his only Southport appearance and he moved up the coast and joined Blackpool in 1933. He scored on his debut against Burnley in March 1934 but was a fringe player during his three seasons at Bloomfield Road, making only 17 appearances despite finding the net on eight occasions.

In the 1936 close season he signed for Darlington, where he was described as “a go-ahead centre forward… (who) positions himself well and possesses a strong shot”, and despite the club’s dire showing in 1937-37, Brallisford scored 30 goals in 41 appearances, including 4 goals in a 6-3 win over Rotherham United in September 1936 and a hat-trick in the return fixture in January 1937. After three further games the next season, however, he left to join Gillingham in October 1937. He made 15 appearances for The Gills, scoring three goals during the rest of the season.

He spent a brief spell in Irish League football with Glentoran in 1939 before the Second World War, and after the War he played for Blackhall Colliery Welfare in 1945 before his eventual retirement.