Place Walter (Jr) Image 2 Burnley 1896

Description

Burnley born winger Walter Place (Jr) began his football career in local football with Blue Star in 1891 and Union Stars in 1892 before joining hometown professional club Burnley in 1893, making his Football League debut in a First Division fixture at Bolton Wanderers in January 1894. Establishing himself in the Burnley first eleven from September 1894, he was a near ever present for 5 seasons, and although Burnley were relegated in 1897, he scored 7 goals in 28 games as they immediately regained their top flight status, winning the 1898 Second Division Championship. However in 1899-1900, another relegation season for The Clarets, he made only a single appearance, and he left the following summer to join Woolwich Arsenal in May 1900 after 34 goals in 161 appearances for Burnley.

Place made his Gunners debut against Gainsborough Trinity in September of that year and featured regularly under Harry Bradshaw in his two year spell at The Manor Ground.He played 45 times, scoring 7 goals. He returned to Lancashire in 1902 joining non league Trawden Forest and subsequently joining Padiham in 1903 before his retirement from the game.

He was the younger cousin of Walter Place (Sr), who played with him at Burnley.

NB Although this image was published in 1902 when Place was an Arsenal player, it shows him wearing a Burnley shirt of a design similar to their 1896 strip.