Pollard Walter Image 1 West Ham United 1931

Description

Burnley, Lancashire born inside right Walter Pollard began his senior football career with hometown First Division club Burnley, making his Football League debut at Bolton Wanderers in September 1925, scoring in a 4-2 defeat, one of 4 matches he played that month before losing his place. After 4 further matches the next season he came into the team in December 1927 for a concerted spell but didn’t appear for The Clarets at all in 1928-29 before joining Second Division club West Ham United in 1929 after 4 goals in 20 matches for Burnley.

During his first three seasons at Upton Park he was again consigned to the fringe, playing handfuls of matches each season, but he came into the team on a more regular basis in November 1932 and scored twice in 6 FA Cup ties that saw The Hammers beaten 2-1 in the semi final by eventual winners Everton at Molineux. After 5 goals in 43 matches for West Ham, Pollard then joined a growing list of English professionals to head into the French League when he joined Sochaux-Montbeliard in the summer of 1933, but he soon returned to the Football League, first with Fulham the same season where he didn’t make The Cottagers’ first eleven, then with Second Division club Southampton in 1934, where he was again lightly used, scoring 3 goals in 23 matches over two seasons. He then joined Brighton & Hove Albion ahead of their 1936-37 campaign but failed to make their first eleven before finishing his career at Tunbridge Wells Rangers, joining them later in 1936, his last recorded club before his eventual retirement.