Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2013 10:07:55 GMT
Fascinating post from Jon on another thread about Albert Bloxham and Alec Leslie of whom I knew nothing (or maybe I've missed something?).
It's 1927 and you assume the club officers of the time "wanted" promotion. Unless, of course, the ultimately successful application to the Football League was a mere afterthought. You'd also imagine that considerable money was being spent to turn Torquay United into both a club and team with plausible League credentials. Players, after all, were being recruited from far and wide: Bloxham (Wiki says) was from the Midlands; Leslie was Scottish.
Yet the club could not prevent, or see fit to prevent, the departure of these two players to Birmingham. Was there a fee paid to ease the loss? Or was it simply accepted that here was a fantastic opportunity for both players that needed to be granted? Furthermore, for the club to be doing business of this nature would have bought publicity and possibly increased its plausibility.
It would certainly have been hard to step in the way of the ambition of both players. Bloxham was a young man who had been playing for clubs along the Welsh border. He'd shown purpose and ambition in joining Torquay United in the first place. And, being born in Solihull, signing for Birmingham would have had an extra significance.
Alec Leslie, again relying on Wiki, was a Greenock man who was slightly older and who'd already had spells with Morton and St Mirren. Here we could easily concoct a story that he was from a poor part of Scotland and keen to remain in football. Hence his long-distance move to Torquay.
What happened next is interesting. Bloxham played just a few games for Birmingham before drifting in and out of the Football League. His other clubs included Raith, Chesterfield and Yeovil before he settled at Millwall for a couple of seasons. With such highs and lows he may have had just as good a career by remaining at Plainmoor. Perhaps he was a real talent; maybe we were fortunate in getting a fee for him (assuming that we did).
Leslie was different. Torquay United acted as the springboard for a decent career at St Andrews which culminated in appearing in the 1931 FA Cup final. I guess that would have earned a degree of "reflected glory" for Torquay United and created a fair amount of interest in the town at the time.
It's 1927 and you assume the club officers of the time "wanted" promotion. Unless, of course, the ultimately successful application to the Football League was a mere afterthought. You'd also imagine that considerable money was being spent to turn Torquay United into both a club and team with plausible League credentials. Players, after all, were being recruited from far and wide: Bloxham (Wiki says) was from the Midlands; Leslie was Scottish.
Yet the club could not prevent, or see fit to prevent, the departure of these two players to Birmingham. Was there a fee paid to ease the loss? Or was it simply accepted that here was a fantastic opportunity for both players that needed to be granted? Furthermore, for the club to be doing business of this nature would have bought publicity and possibly increased its plausibility.
It would certainly have been hard to step in the way of the ambition of both players. Bloxham was a young man who had been playing for clubs along the Welsh border. He'd shown purpose and ambition in joining Torquay United in the first place. And, being born in Solihull, signing for Birmingham would have had an extra significance.
Alec Leslie, again relying on Wiki, was a Greenock man who was slightly older and who'd already had spells with Morton and St Mirren. Here we could easily concoct a story that he was from a poor part of Scotland and keen to remain in football. Hence his long-distance move to Torquay.
What happened next is interesting. Bloxham played just a few games for Birmingham before drifting in and out of the Football League. His other clubs included Raith, Chesterfield and Yeovil before he settled at Millwall for a couple of seasons. With such highs and lows he may have had just as good a career by remaining at Plainmoor. Perhaps he was a real talent; maybe we were fortunate in getting a fee for him (assuming that we did).
Leslie was different. Torquay United acted as the springboard for a decent career at St Andrews which culminated in appearing in the 1931 FA Cup final. I guess that would have earned a degree of "reflected glory" for Torquay United and created a fair amount of interest in the town at the time.
