 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

by Iain McCartney

When researching a player’s career in order to add him to the ever-growing list of players who have passed away, both in recent and past times, you just never know what is going to materialise. Some of those, whose biographies you put down on paper are familiar and you can often write them without having to do any real work. Others can prove a bit of a task, but all worthwhile as you just never know what you will discover, in particular about a player that most will know nothing about.

Take for instance Jason Scott-Lee. Who I hear you ask? As well as having him on my database for the ‘Graves Society’, I featured him recently in my ‘United Collectors Club’ newsletter, under the heading - STRICTLY COME DANCING AND UNITED.

Living in Malta, you will probably be unaware of popular UK television programmes such as ‘Bake Off, ‘Master Chef’, or ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, but they are all very popular with a vast majority of viewers. I don’t include myself amongst that number though. Anyway, what on earth do they have to do with United, I hear you mumble! No surprise there actually, as it

really has nothing to do with this article, as I simply liked the heading. But then again, in a diverse way it all fits together, at least one of the programmes does, so bear with me.

I can also hear you ask, who the hell is Jason Scott-Lee? To be honest, I don’t blame you, as I doubt if anyone would know, but all, or at least what I know, will be revealed here.

Born in Rhyl in 1921, Jason Scott-Lee was of Chinese descent and made seven appearances for Manchester United, his debut coming against Wrexham on December 6th 1941, a 10-3 victory. Somewhat ironically, he was the only forward not to find his name on the score sheet.

A Liverpool University student, of Chinese descent, he had a successful trial with Everton prior to the 1942-43 season, whilst still on United’s books, something that prevented the Goodison side from signing him.

Leaving United towards the end of the Second World War, he signed for Tranmere Rovers and was something of a regular in their side during the 1944-45 season.

headlines, but his footwork, however, did stand him in good stead, as he became a noted ballroom dancer and married his partner, a former Miss Rhyl!

He is buried in Maeshyfryd Cemetery, Rhyl – Section 18, Grave 7236.

The best thing about doing research for the ‘Graves Society’ is finding the actual resting place of a player or official. It matters little if he played one game or two hundred and one, if he was a director or manager, he is still a part of the history of Manchester United.

There is, however, a downside and that is when the details of an individual is found, his grave visited, only to discover that there is no headstone. Believe me, there are many.

Ideally, I would like to see each grave where there is no headstone have a small marker stone, giving the players name, the ‘Grave Society’ logo and the dates he played for the club. Unfortunately, there is so much red tape that prevents this from being done. I have spoken to the club about the ‘Graves Society’ and details have been passed down the line, so hopefully, in the future, something can be done.

One important individual, who lies in an unmarked grave is Alf Albut.

Fredrick Attock, a supervisor at the Carriage and Wagon works of the Lancashire and Yorkshire 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 1880s, 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.”

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.

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

Unfortunately, as the photograph shows, there is no headstone at the grave.