Coupland Clifford “Baggy” Image 1 Grimsby Town 1922

Description

Grimsby, Lincolnshire born right half Clifford “Baggy” Coupland played junior football during and after the First World War with Haycroft Rovers in 1917 and Grimsby Rovers in 1919 before joining hometown professional club Grimsby Town in January 1921, making his Football League debut against Stalybridge Celtic in September 1921. He had two seasons at Blundell Park scoring 3 goals in 49 appearances before joining Midland League Mansfield Town in June 1923. He won the Midland League Championship with The Stags in both 1924 and 1925, scoring 8 goals in 64 appearances.

Blessed with “good speed, clever footwork and shooting power”, described as “a sound tackler… with an intelligent conception of the function and the duties of a main defender”, he returned to Football League action with Manchester City, signing for £725 in March 1925, and scored twice in 23 League appearances as they were relegated from the First Division in 1925-26, a season where they also reached the FA Cup Final losing to Bolton at Wembley in the Final.

Despite playing in 3 earlier round matches on the way to Wembley he was not selected for the Final, and played only once more for City the following season before returning to Grimsby Town in the summer of 1927. He made 13 appearances during his single season with The Mariners before joining non league Caernarvon Athletic in 1928, subsequently joining Sittingbourne in 1929 and Crystal Palace in February 1931, where he couldn’t force his way into the first eleven, before retirement.