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Ted Holdcroft

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Ted Holdcroft
Personal information
Full name Hugh Edward Holdcroft[1]
Date of birth c. 1882[1]
Place of birth Stoke-upon-Trent, England[1]
Date of death (1952-02-04)4 February 1952 (age 69-70)[1]
Place of death Norton le Moors, England[1]
Position(s) Centre half / Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1901–1903 Burslem Port Vale 16 (1)
1903–1905 Stoke 43 (11)
Total 59 (12)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hugh Edward Holdcroft (c. 1882 – 4 February 1952) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Burslem Port Vale and Stoke in the early 1900s.

Career

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Holdcroft joined Burslem Port Vale in October 1901.[1] His debut came at centre-half in a goalless draw with Preston North End at the Athletic Ground on 8 September 1902.[1] He scored his first goal in the Football League on 25 October, converting a penalty in a 3–3 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor.[1] He became a first-team regular for the Second Division side from the next month until he suffered a toe injury in February 1903 and transferred to local rivals Stoke in March 1903.[1] At £500 this was a club record for Stoke.[2]

Holdcroft was converted into a centre forward at the Victoria Ground with mixed success.[3] He hit two goals in a 5–2 win over Liverpool on 17 October 1903, and opened the 1905–06 season with a goal in each of the first three First Division games. Still, other than these highlights, he proved to be far from a natural goalscorer and in three seasons, he scored 11 goals in 44 appearances.[3] After retiring due to an ankle injury and later suffering a serious illness that prevented him finding a job, Vale and Stoke held a benefit match on his behalf on 29 April 1907; the game finished 1–1.[4] This would prove to be Burslem Port Vale's final ever match, as the club were dissolved, only to re-emerge later in the year when Cobridge Church renamed themselves Port Vale F.C.

Career statistics

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Source:[5]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Burslem Port Vale 1902–03 Second Division 16 1 2 0 18 1
Stoke[3] 1902–03 First Division 1 0 0 0 1 0
1903–04 First Division 17 3 0 0 17 3
1904–05 First Division 14 3 1 0 15 3
1905–06 First Division 11 5 0 0 11 5
Total 43 11 1 0 44 11
Career total 59 12 3 0 62 12

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 139. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ^ "Record recruits made huge impacts to justify their big-money moves". The Sentinel Green 'Un. 6 February 2016. p. 7.
  3. ^ a b c Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  4. ^ Kent, Jeff (November 1998). The Potteries Derbies. Witan Books. p. 76. ISBN 0-9529152-3-5.
  5. ^ Ted Holdcroft at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)