Jack Astley

John Astley (3 December 1909 – 8 November 1984) was an English professional football right back who played in the Football League for Southport, Brentford and Coventry City.[1]

Jack Astley
Personal information
Full name John Astley[1]
Date of birth (1909-12-03)3 December 1909
Place of birth Warrington, England
Date of death 8 November 1984(1984-11-08) (aged 74)[2]
Place of death Whitley, England
Playing position(s) Right back
Youth career
St. Elfin's Parish Church
Chadwick Recreation
Warrington Bedouins
Elmwood Avenue Methodists
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1930–1933 Southport 2 (0)
1932–1933 → Shelbourne (loan)
1933–1936 Brentford 49 (0)
1936–1942 Coventry City 140 (0)
National team
League of Ireland XI
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Early years

A right back, Astley began his career in his native north west,[3] playing for a number of amateur clubs before joining Third Division North club Southport in 1930.[2] He made just two appearances for the club before joining League of Ireland club Shelbourne on loan for the 1932–33 season.[2] He left Southport at the end of the 1932–33 season.[2]

Brentford

Astley transferred to Second Division club Brentford in May 1933.[4] He went straight into the team and made 41 appearances during the 1933–34 season, in which the Bees finished fourth in the Second Division.[5] The arrival of full backs Arthur Bateman and George Poyser in the summer of 1934 and an injury saw Astley lose his place in the team and he made just one appearance during the 1934–35 season,[2] in which Brentford secured promotion to the First Division as champions.[5] He instead played for the reserves and won the 1935 London Challenge Cup with the team.[6] Astley managed to make eight appearances in the First Division during the first half of the 1935–36 season,[5] before departing Griffin Park in February 1936.[4] Astley made 50 appearances for Brentford.[4]

Coventry City

Astley joined Third Division South high-flyers Coventry City in February 1936.[4] He made 14 appearances in what remained of the 1935–36 season and helped the Sky Blues to the Third Division South title.[7] Astley displaced Vic Brown from the team and with former Brentford teammate Walter Metcalf on the other flank at full back, he was an ever-present until professional football was suspended in 1939 upon to the outbreak of the Second World War.[4] He made 148 appearances for the Sky Blues and guested for Nottingham Forest during the war.[7][8]

Representative career

While with Shelbourne, Astley played for the League of Ireland representative team against their Welsh League counterparts.[4]

Personal life

Astley served in the British Army during and after the Second World War and rose to the rank of captain.[2] He married his wife, an Estonian, during five-and-a-half years stationed in Germany.[2] Astley settled in Coventry in 1950 and began working for the General Electric Company, retiring in 1974.[2] He died of a heart attack in Whitley Hospital in November 1984.[2]

Honours

Brentford Reserves

Coventry City

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Southport 1931–32[2] Third Division North 2 0 0 0 2 0
Brentford 1933–34[5] Second Division 40 0 1 0 41 0
1934–35[5] 1 0 0 0 1 0
1935–36[5] First Division 8 0 — 8 0
Total 49 0 1 0 50 0
Coventry City 1935–36[7] Third Division South 14 0 3 0 17 0
1936–37[7] Second Division 42 0 3 0 45 0
1937–38[7] 42 0 1 0 43 0
1938–39[7] 42 0 1 0 43 0
Total 140 0 8 0 148 0
Career total 191 0 9 0 200 0

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 12. ISBN 190589161X.
  2. "Jack Astley (Player Profile)". 18 March 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  3. "Astley Jack Coventry City 1937". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  4. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 13. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  5. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 372–373. ISBN 0951526200.
  6. Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. p. 82. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
  7. "Jack Astley". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  8. "The City Ground". www.thecityground.com. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
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