DECEMBER 28th: STUBBINS AND ENGLAND INTERNATIONALS

The first man "up alphabetically" in the England international list, is Walter Abbott who, born in Small Heath, Birmingham, made his England debut on 3rd March 1902 v Wales, after playing well!! for Everton. He also played for the Football League team and was awarded two FA Cup medals with Everton. One medal as a Cup runners-up in 1906 and the other, aCup  winner  in 1907. His career went from local club, Rosewood Victoria, Small Heath (later Birmingham City), Everton, Burnley and back to Birmingham City, by then named properly! Injury curtailed his progress and his son, Walter played for Grimsby Town after the First World War. 

Abbott was born in Small Heath and began his football career with his local club, as an inside left, scoring 66 goals in 85 appearances in all competitions for the club. In the 1898-9 season, he scored a club record 42 goals, of which 34 came in the same number of League games. At Everton he was turned into a wing half. While at Everton he won his only England cap, on 3 March 1902 in a goalless draw against Wales at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham. He also played four times for the Football League XI. 

Last named in the book was Robert Lester Zamora, whose career spanned Bristol Rovers, Bath City, Brighton, Tottenham, West Ham, Fulham, QPR and Brighton again. His England debut was against Hungary in August 2010; he made two appearances.

There are 3 "I"s.....Paul Ince, Danny Ings and James Iremonger. Ince and Ings we know about, Iremonger, two "Q"s.....Alfred Quantrill of Derby and Preston when in international form in the 1920s, he was the son-in-law of Steve Bloomer.....please don't say you have never heard of Steve. The third is Albert Quixall who played for England when at Sheffield Wednesday.

The first professional to gain an England cap was James Forrest of Blackburn Rovers who won his first cap v Wales in March 1884. James played 11 times and the well known sports' journalist. Bernard Joy (below), was an amateur playing for Arsenal when he won his cap against Belgium on May 9th 1936, the last amateur to play for England. He wrote for the Evening Standard and Daily Express.

AND on the 28th December 2008, Albert Stubbins died!!! WHO??? Albert appeared once for England in an unofficial match during the Victory Internationals after the First World War. His fame is that he appears on the Beatles "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". The only footballer included. WHY? Born in Wallsend, he played for Newcastle United and during the war he worked for the Royal Ordnance engineering factory, totalling 240 goals in 172 appearances. Albert was sold to Liverpool in September 1946 he continued to score goals and win medals until 1953, when he signed for Ashington in the non-league. More about him on the link...can you find him?

https://ahalftimereport.com/2015/12/11/albert-stubbins-sgt-peppers/