Phoenix Albert “Ginger” Image 1 Aston Villa 1924

Description

Patricroft, near Eccles, Lancashire born inside right and later right half Albert “Ginger” Phoenix began his football career with Hadfield after the end of the First World War and played for Glossop in 1922, from where he was signed by First Division club Birmingham in July 1923, making his Football League debut at Arsenal as an inside forward in September 1923, playing 2 more matches for The Blues before the year end. After a season at St Andrews he moved across the city to Villa Park in May 1924, where he scored both goals on his debut in a 2-1 win over Leeds United in December 1924, scoring once in 3 further matches in February and April before a move to Second Division club Barnsley in May 1925, where he was again a fringe player playing just two matches for The Tykes before the year end.

In a highly itinerant career, Phoenix signed for Third Division (South) club Exeter City in June 1926 and he stayed in Devon for three seasons, initially as per his early career in forward positions, principally inside right, scoring on his debut in a 4-4 draw at Norwich City. In 1927-28 he played 30 matches for The Grecians, the most of any season of his career, and from September 1927 he switched his position to right half, where he played for most of the rest of his career. After 9 goals in 54 matches for Exeter he transferred to Wigan Borough in July 1929, playing 26 matches for Wigan before a move to non league Bath City in the summer of 1930.

Phoenix returned to Football League action with Torquay United in November 1930, playing 18 matches for The Seagulls before a move to Mansfield Town in July 1931, where he was again a fringe player making just 3 appearances for The Stags that December. He then followed many professional footballers at the time into the French League, spending 1932-33 with Racing Club de Paris before returning to England to play for Cheshire League club Sandbach Ramblers in 1933. Later the same year he moved to Irish League club Shelbourne, and in 1934 he played for both Colwyn Bay United and Brierley Hill Alliance before a return to Irish League football with Ballymena United in 1935. He finished his career with spells at Nelson in 1933 and Mossley in 1936, his last recorded club.