 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

by Iain McCartney

The email came through requesting another contribution to ‘Echoes’ and also for that contribution to continue of the theme of the ‘Manchester United Graves Society’. Some, perhaps many, might find the subject matter of little interest, but it is part of the United history, an important part in my eyes, as it keeps the memories of those individuals who played for United or Newton Heath alive and whether they played one game for the Heathens reserves in the 1800’s or 2/300 games for Manchester United in the modern era, they are all part of the United story.

Once I manage to find the burial place or cremation details of a player, I then begin looking at their career in order to write up a brief biography of that individual. Some reveal interesting stories.

Take George Anderson for instance. Born in the Cheetham area of Manchester in May 1893, he was to score thirty-nine goals in eighty-six Football League and FA Cup ties is a favourable record, but unfortunately, it is quickly forgotten about as George Anderson’s name is more associated with the accusation of fixing United’s game against Burnley in December 1917.

Signed from Bury in September 1911 for a fee of £50, he was to make only one appearance prior to November 1912, but by the end of 1913-14 he was leading scorer.

Although making a handful of appearances for United during 1915-16, he made his way to Belfast in February 1916 to play for Belfast United without permission and it was only the involvement of the Football League that made him return to Old Trafford where he resumed his United career.

In March 1918, despite maintaining his innocence, George Anderson was found guilty of ‘conspiring with certain persons unknown

George Anderson is pictured centre of front row.

to defraud other persons unknown who had made bets on the results of various matches’, with United’s game against Burnley on 29 December 1917 one of those games.

He was subsequently banned from Old Trafford, with reports in the ‘News of the World’ of 24 March 1918 adding fuel to the fire and following a court appearance, he was jailed for eight months.

BURIAL - Blackley Cemetery and Crematorium. PLOT – BC consecrated 2356

There is also the sad story of Prestwich born James Collinson, one of the earliest known local players to represent the club and he was to score on his debut against Lincoln City on November 16th 1895, having been signed from local football in August of that year. He was also to score both goals in the Lancashire Senior Cup Final victory over Blackburn Rovers at Goodison Park in 1898.

He was also something of a versatile individual, as he could also be found at inside-forward.

Employed as a glassblower following his playing career, he was to lose his job due to ill-health and sadly took his own life, leaving a note to his family which read – “Before I am any incumbrance to anyone, I think this is the best step to take. Goodbye and God bless you all.”

Jimmy Collinson is buried in Agecroft Cemetery, Manchester.

But it’s not just the players whose resting places are eagerly searched for, managers are just as important and I was really pleased recently to find the resting place of the club’s very first manager, Alf Albut. Sadly, there is no headstone for the man.

Railway was the president of the fledgling Newton Heath Football Club, but if there was one man responsible for the emergence of the football club and indeed its survival in those often-dark distant days, then that man was Alfred Hubert Albut.

Born in Bromsgrove in 1850, he progressed favourably through Bromsgrove National School, but when it came to sports, it was as a cricketer that he excelled, as a member of Pickwick C.C. and Bromsgrove C.C. as a player and also as a committee member. But by the late 1880’s he had also become involved with Aston Villa Football Club, with the ‘Birmingham Daily Post’ mentioning him as a committee member when the club became a limited company in 1889, two years after they lifted the F.A. Cup for the first time.

But Albut was much more than a mere committee member, as he often negotiated transfers, bringing the likes of James Cowan to the club, whilst also being employed away from football as a confectionary salesman.

Despite overseeing success in the Midlands with Aston Villa, helping them obtain a strong foothold within the game, the ‘Empire news and The Umpire’ of March 20th 1892 reported: “Mr A. H. Albut, a member of the Aston Villa club committee, has been appointed secretary of the Newton Heath F.C. If knowledge of the game, coupled with good business capacity, can do good to a club, then Mr Albut is the right man in the right place.”

He was certainly the right man in the right place, as no sooner had he got through the door than he was one of the main forces behind the Heathens becoming a limited company, with ‘The Umpire’ of May 8th writing: “With an energetic secretary like Mr Albut, and a good team, Newton Heath should attain higher honours in the football world than even second place in the Alliance.”

A week later, ‘The Empire News’ of May 15th 1892 reported that Newton Heath had been “turned off their old ground” at North Road by the railway company but Mr Albut and his committee had found pastures new at Ten Acre Lane. But it was a ground that they never played on due to its owners, the Dean and Canons of Manchester deciding that charging admission was ‘not on’, so Albut had to return to the railway company, cap in hand, and negotiate terms to return to North Road.

Albut himself had also made a move, not overly happy with his office at the Shears Hotel headquarters, he at first leased a cottage at 33 Oldham Road, before taking larger premises at the Institute, Silver Street, Miles Platting, which was soon to become the social centre of the football club. Albut subsequently returned to the Midlands, where he passed away in December 1916 at the age of sixty-seven.

He is buried in Yardley Cemetery, Section 11, Grave No. 18961.

Although heavily involved in all things Newton Heath, Albut still found time for cricket and was expected to turn out once again for Bromsgrove in the summer of 1896, but whilst playing at Irlam, having scored thirty-one and looking for eight more runs to tie the match, fell as he attempted to make a short run having ruptured the small arteries at the back of his leg and was run out and forced to rest for three weeks.

Albut, however, wasn’t just the club secretary, as he could be considered their first manager, the man responsible for the day to day running of the club, which also included the ninety minutes on a Saturday afternoon. He certainly had his work cut out on countless occasions, with directors’ meetings conducted by candlelight when the gas supply was cut off. The story goes that Albut used the Corporations court summons to his advantage, approaching a neighbouring club with summons on blue paper and waving it in front of their directors in the pretence that it was from a player of that club who had not been paid wages in recent weeks and if he didn’t get them, the summons would be served. Not wishing to go to court and unable to pay the amount due, they agreed to release the player without actually checking the blue paper. Having signed the player, who was apparently a well-known individual, the gate money the following Saturday showed an increase of £10.

Much more could be written about A. H. Albut and his Newton Heath days, but this is not a biography, just a mere pen picture and the man who did so much for the club in its early days, tendered his resignation to his board in May 1900 and all he received was a vote of thanks at the club AGM the following month. Players who lost their lives whilst serving their country are not forgotten and some twenty-two are recorded on the database. Guest players are also added, although this section needs some work done to it, as only six individuals are included. They are, however, noted players all.

The six in this section are former Everton manager Harry Catterick, noted goal scorer Arthur Rowley, brother of Jack, who is more familiar to United supporters, Alex Herd, the father of David, Peter Doherty, Ivor Broadis and also Stanley Matthews.

On my database, there is also a mention of one woman – Elsie May Partington MBE. Why I hear you ask.

Her name is to be found on the headstone of John Henry Davies as she was his daughter and she more than deserves a mention, as she also has a part to play in United’s history as she was the ‘little girl’ who took a fancy to Harry Stafford’s St Bernard dog as it wandered the streets of Manchester and if it had not been for her, then perhaps the Manchester United of today would have been totally different. If indeed it existed at all.

Space has caught up with me again, so it is off to write up five more biographies of players whose graves I have located in the past couple of days.

Bury in September 1911 for a fee of £50, he was to make only one appearance prior to