Foxall Harry Image 2 Portsmouth 1927

Description

Old Hill, Birmingham born centre half Harry Foxall began his football career with Cradley Heath after the First World War and joined Southern League club Pontypridd in 1919, from where he was signed by Third Division (South) club Merthyr Town in the summer of 1922, making his Football League debut at Swansea Town that August and missing just two matches in his debut season. His consistency got him noticed by Portsmouth, who signed him two weeks after he’d twice played against them for Merthyr in February 1924, having scored 3 goals in 69 appearances for the Welshmen,

Described as “untiring and angular”, he played 16 times in the remainder of the season as Portsmouth won the Third Division (South) Championship, and missed very few matches over the next three seasons, assuming the club captaincy, and being ever present as Portsmouth finished runners up in the Second Division in 1926-27. He led Portsmouth into their first top flight season but suffered an effectively career ending injury early in 1928. Foxall was fit enough only to return to Cradley Heath to play non league football later the same year after 10 goals in 166 appearances for Pompey, and he later joined Stourbridge in 1930, his last club before his eventual retirement.

His brother Fred, who suffered two broken legs, the second of which finished his football career, and who died of the complications at only 28 years old, played for Southampton, Birmingham and Watford, while a third brother, Arthur, also played with him for Pontypridd, Merthyr and briefly Portsmouth as well as playing for Watford.