Worrall Fred Image 6 Portsmouth 1939

Description

Warrington, Cheshire born outside right Fred Worrall began his football career with Witton Albion in 1926 and played for Nantwich in 1927 before he joined Bolton Wanderers on 8th November 1928 for a £250 ‘consideration fee’, but a breach of transfer rule 38 (a club cannot pay a transfer fee for an amateur) prevented that transfer, for which Bolton were fined £50, and Nantwich £20, on 10th December. Bolton were also prevented from ever registering Worrall. He instead joined Second Division Oldham Athletic two days later and made his Football League debut on Boxing Day the same month against Millwall at Boundary Park, scoring in a 4-1 victory. He soon established himself as a regular in The Latics’ first team, and his impressive performances led to him being bought by First Division Portsmouth for £3,000 in October 1931 after 21 goals in 107 appearances for Oldham.

His incredible consistency continued at Portsmouth, he only once missed more than one game in a season (when he missed 7 matches in 1936-37) between his signing and the Second World War, and although only ever present once in 1934-35, he missed one game a season in each of five of the seven full seasons. He was part of Pompey’s 1934 FA Cup Final team that succumbed to two late Fred Tilson goals for Manchester City at Wembley, and won two caps for England, scoring the only goal on his debut against the Netherlands in Amsterdam in May 1935, and scoring in England’s 3-1 win over Ireland at The Victoria Ground, Stoke, in the British Championship in November 1936. He also made two appearances for The Football League.

His greatest triumph came in 1939, when he set up the second goal in Portsmouth’s surprise 4-1 FA Cup Final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Wembley, however the Second World War then severely interrupted his career. and left the club at the end of the Second World War, during which Worrall returned to Oldham when he guested for his former club in October 1939, and again in September 1940 and August 1942. Also represented The Fire Service between 1942 and 1945. After the War he returned to Fratton Park and played his final two matches for Portsmouth in the 1946 FA Cup, but having scored 75 goals for Pompey in 344 appearances, he joined Crewe Alexandra in March 1946, making just 7 appearances for The Railwaymen, scoring once, before he joined Stockport County in February 1947. He represented The RAF in March 1947 while registered as a County player but never played for County’s first team before retiring.

NB in the photograph he stands with Portsmouth teammate Tommy Rowe.