Robert Hughes Beale (8 January 1884 – 5 October 1950) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Maidstone, Kent, he played in the Southern League for Brighton & Hove Albion and Norwich City before joining Football League side Manchester United in 1912. After the First World War, he returned to the Southern League with Gillingham.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Hughes Beale[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 8 January 1884 | ||
| Place of birth | Maidstone, Kent, England | ||
| Date of death | 5 October 1950 (aged 66)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Dymchurch, Kent, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| ?–1905 | Maidstone United | ||
| 1905–1908 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 10 | (0) |
| 1908–1912 | Norwich City | ||
| 1912–1919 | Manchester United | 105 | (0) |
| 1915–1916 | → Arsenal (guest) | ||
| 1919–1920 | Gillingham | 12 | (0) |
| 1920–1921 | Maidstone United | ||
| 1921 | Manchester United | 0 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editBorn in Maidstone, Kent, Beale began his career with his hometown club, Maidstone United, in the early 20th century.[1] In 1905, he signed for Brighton & Hove Albion,[3] before moving to Norwich City three years later. In May 1912, he was signed by Manchester United for £275.[1] He made 105 appearances for the club in The Football League, and played once for the Football League XI in an inter-league representative match,[1] but his career in The Football League was ended by the First World War.
When competitive football resumed, he joined Gillingham of the Southern Football League.[1] He began the 1919–20 season as the club's first-choice goalkeeper, but lost his place after 12 games and eventually returned to his first club, Maidstone United.[4] Beale's son, Walter, also had a career as a footballer and signed for his father's former club, Manchester United, in May 1938, however he never played for the first team.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888–1939. Soccerdata. p. 20. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
- ^ Sharpe, Graham (8 December 2014). Free the Manchester United One: The Inside Story of Football's Greatest Scam. Pavilion Books. ISBN 978-1-910232-15-6.
- ^ Carder, Tim; Harris, Roger (1997). Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Hove: Goldstone Books. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-9521337-1-1.
- ^ Brown, Tony (2003). The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record. Soccerdata. p. 33. ISBN 1-899468-20-X.
- ^ Dykes, Garth (1994). The United Alphabet: A Complete Who's Who of Manchester United F.C. Leicester: ACL & Polar Publishing (UK). p. 28. ISBN 0-9514862-6-8.