Prince Percy Image 1 Southampton 1913

Description

Liverpool born centre forward and later half back Percy Prince began his football career was raised in Southampton and played his club football on Southampton Common for Cranbury Avenue and Southampton Oxford, while working in the Merchant Navy.He was signed by Southern League club Southampton as an amateur in 1907 and made Southern League debut away to New Brompton on 17th October 1908. In the next match, against Millwall he scored in a 4-1 victory at The Dell, but made only one further appearance that season, followed by two more matches at the end of the 1909-10 season, scoring in both matches. He was the first choice centre forward at the start of the next season, scoring in a 3-0 victory over Portsmouth on 10th September 1910, before losing his place to Sid Kimpton.

Described as a “sharp-shooting centre-forward, keen and enthusiastic ” but with a genial nature, “there was none more zealous in the interests of the team”, he was known as “Peewee” to his teammates. He finally became established in the side, playing at inside left in December 1911, taking over from Andrew Gibson, but after a run of nine matches in which he scored twice, Prince lost his place to Gibson. In March 1912 Gibson was suspended (along with Henry Hamilton) for a “serious breach of club discipline”, as a result of which both players were placed on the transfer list. This led to Prince’s restoration to the team which he marked by scoring four goals in three matches.

In the 1912-13 season, Prince only missed eight matches scoring eleven league goals, making him the club’s top scorer for the season. The following season he continued to be a regular starter but was pushed out onto the wing in more of a supporting role to Len Andrews and Arthur Dominy, and his scoring ability faded before he lost his place in January 1914 to Bill Smith, who in turn was replaced by Arthur Hollins.

In the summer of 1914, Prince was released by Southampton after 25 goals in 79 matches and joined Hampshire League club Boscombe (now AFC Bournemouth). The outbreak of the First World War interrupted his career but he turned out occasionally for Boscombe during the wartime period until returning to Southampton in 1917, where he played for his former club in the wartime leagues. At the cessation of hostilities, Prince re-joined Southampton in August 1919 and made four further appearances. in place of Bert Fenwick in The Saints’ final Southern League season. Prince was now playing at half back and his final appearance was in a 2-6 defeat by Northampton Townat The Dell on 25th October 1919. Although he was not to make further appearances in the first team, Prince continued to play for the reserves, gaining Hampshire League and Senior Cup medals, as well as gaining representative honours with Hampshire. He returned to Boscombe in November 1920, before retiring the following summer.