Perry Eddie Image 2 Fulham 1936

Description

Rhymney, Monmouthshire born centre forward Edwin “Eddie” Perry began his football career in junior football with Tredomen Works in 1925 and Rhymney in 1926, having a trial with Swansea Town before joining Merthyr Town, spending 1927-28 on their books without making a first team appearance. Perry joined Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic for the 1928-29 season but again failed to get into their first eleven, before moving to London to join Thames Association for their inaugural League season in the summer of 1930. He finished top scorer in their campaign with 16 goals, having scored on his League debut in a 4-1 victory over Walsall in September 1930, a goal that was Thames’ first in their short 2 season history as a League club.

Perry was soon signed by Fulham in 1931 but despite scoring over 100 goals in the reserves only played 7 times in 3 seasons, scoring twice, before eventually getting some first team opportunities from January 1935 onwards, finishing second top scorer to Jim Hammond despite playing less than half the games Hammond played, whereafter he was a regular goalscorer until he joined Doncaster Rovers in November 1936 after 40 goals in 69 appearances, but he couldn’t help save them from relegation at the end of the season. Described as “a gallant attacker… a good player for holding himself ready for the pass, and when required, shows daring by breaking through to get the leather. Can hit a fast shot on the run”, he was a prolific goalscorer for Donny in 1937-38 scoring 24 goals, and his form was good enough to earn a call up for Wales, for whom he made his international debut in October 1937 in a 2-1 victory at Ninian Park. He won further caps in November 1937 scoring against England at Ayresome Park in a 2-1 defeat and against Ireland in a 1-0 defeat at Windsor Park in March 1938.

He played for Doncaster until the advent of the Second World War, by when he had scored 47 goals in 105 appearances, and during the War he played for Brentford and Fulham as a wartime guest, top scoring for Brentford in the 1940-41 and 1941-42 seasons and winning the 1942 London War Cup with them. He later managed Fulham’s junior sides, and played a key role in discovering Johnny Haynes, before becoming the manager of Southend United in August 1956, a position he held until February 1960.