Albert Edward Alderman (30 October 1907 – 6 June 1990) was an English

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

er and

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

. He played cricket for

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the no ...

between 1928 and 1948 and scored over 12,000 runs for the club. As a footballer, he played as an

inside forward Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...

for

Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 1884 ...

and

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River ...

between 1928 and 1935.

Early life

Alderman was born in

Allenton, Derbyshire Allenton is a small suburb of the city of Derby, England, situated about three miles south of the city centre. It is located between the suburbs of Osmaston, Boulton, Alvaston and Shelton Lock. Allenton is a busy part of the city of Derby, wit ...

. He was a product of the work being done by

Samuel Cadman Samuel William Anthony Cadman (29 January 1877 – 6 May 1952) was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire for over quarter of a century between 1900 and 1926. He was an effective all-rounder and scored over 14,000 runs and took over 800 ...

behind the scenes in the nursery at Derbyshire in bringing forward young players of promise.Wisden Obituaries in 1990
/ref>

Cricket career

Alderman first represented Derbyshire in the 1928 season, and had gained a regular place in the lower order of the batting line-up in time for the beginning of the 1929 season, however, he did not translate this lower-order batting into a regular place in the bowling line-up, thanks to steady averages, regularly making an average of more than 20, as well as intermittent centuries for the team. Alderman kept his first-team place throughout the golden years of the early to mid-1930s when, despite placing tenth in the 1932 County Championship table, fresh blood in the team was to give them their first, and as yet, only County Championship capture in 1936. During these years, Alderman was able to keep his batting average ticking over and around the 25 mark, and, having played more times during the 1936 season than any other to date, cemented his place in the Derbyshire opening attack, most notably with Test cricketer

Stan Worthington Thomas Stanley Worthington (21 August 1905 – 31 August 1973) was a cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1923 and 1947 and for England between 1930 and 1937. He was an all-rounder, scoring over 19000 runs and taking over 600 first-class ...

and sometime wicket-keeper Harry Storer alongside him. Alderman was also noted for his deep fielding. At The Oval in 1936, Surrey batsman

Tom Barling Henry Thomas Barling (1 September 1906 – 2 January 1993) was an English cricketer. A right-handed batsman, in a first-class career with Surrey lasting from 1927 to 1948, he scored 19209 runs at an average of 34.61, with 34 hundreds and a high ...

swept a ball from

Bill Copson William Henry Copson (27 April 1908 – 14 September 1971) was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire County Cricket Club between 1932 and 1950, and for England between 1939 and 1947. He took over 1,000 wickets for Derbyshire, and was pro ...

to leg which looked as if it was carrying for six. Alderman sprinted 30 yards round the fine-leg boundary to catch it with his outstretched right hand just above the palings. Wisden pronounced that "the catch should live in the memories of all those who were present on the Wednesday". In 1937 he had his best batting season, with 1,509 runs at 33.53 which included three centuries. He made his top score of 175 against Leicestershire at Chesterfield for an opening stand in three hours of 233 with Denis Smith followed by 149 for the second wicket with

. In 1938 season he brought off another brilliant catch, this time off G. F. H. Heane at Trent Bridge, once again taking the ball in his outstretched right hand while running at full tilt in front of the startled members in the pavilion. With seven years out of the game during the war years, Alderman came back in 1946 with a decent statement of intent, scoring a century, and keeping his place in the team for two more years, before quitting the game at the age of 40 in 1948. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler, and occasionally a wicket-keeper. Albert Alderman at Cricket Archive
/ref> Between 1966 and 1968, Alderman umpired 72 first-class matches, mostly in the County Championship, though also in the Gillette Cup. He was subsequently coach at

Repton School Repton School is a 13–18 co-educational, independent, day and boarding school in the English public school tradition, in Repton, Derbyshire, England. Sir John Port of Etwall, on his death in 1557, left funds to create a grammar school ...

. and Sports Professional coaching soccer and cricket at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

Football career

Between 1928 and 1935, Alderman played as an

the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

for both

and

Final years

Alderman died at

Frimley Park Hospital Frimley Park Hospital is a large general hospital in Frimley, Surrey. It is managed by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, and houses a private wing. History Frimley Park Hospital was opened to provide a full range of acute services to pat ...

, Surrey at the age of 82. His first grandson, Timothy Dawson, represented

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in 1986.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alderman, Albert 1907 births 1990 deaths Footballers from Derby English cricketers English men's footballers Men's association football forwards Derbyshire cricketers Derby County F.C. players Burnley F.C. players Berkshire cricketers English Football League players English cricketers of 1919 to 1945 Cricketers from Derby