Hitch Alf Image 3 Watford 1907

Description

Walsall, Staffordshire born centre half Alf Hitch played junior football for Walsall Unity in 1896 and also for Brownhills Albion before joining Second Division club Walsall in October 1897, making his Football League debut against Arsenal in November a few weeks later, one of only two appearances he made for his hometown club that autumn before joining non league Wellington Town in January 1898.

In September the same year he joined Southern League club Thames Ironworks (soon to become West Ham United), making 5 appearances over the next month before a move to fellow Southern Leaguers Grays United in December 1898. He soon moved on, this time to Queen’s Park Rangers in May 1899 where he scored 5 goals in 49 appearances, from where he was signed by First Division club Nottingham Forest in April 1901 after he had played for The South v The North in an England trial match on 25th February 1901.

He scored twice in 13 appearances for Forest the following season, but returned to Queen’s Park Rangers in May 1902, where he became club captain, scoring 14 goals in 118 appearances in his second spell, which lasted until May 1906, when he joined Watford. He was again club captain at Watford and had two seasons with The Hornets, where he was also club captain, being described as “a consistent player, strong tackler and passes with marked judgement”, scoring 2 goals in 72 appearances before retiring from professional football.