Albert Iremonger (15 June 1884 – 9 March 1958) was a

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...

, county-class

cricketer Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

and brother of sportsmen Harry Iremonger and James Iremonger.

Early life

Albert Iremonger was born in

Wilford Wilford is a village and former civil parish in the Nottingham district in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. The village is to the northeast of Clifton, Nottinghamshire, Clifton, southwest of West Bridgford, northwest of Ruddi ...

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

on 15 June 1884. He was the younger brother of James Iremonger and older brother of Harry Iremonger.

Footballing career

Although Iremonger never played at an international level, he was widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of his time and is a local legend in his home county of

. It is also believed Iremonger was the tallest player in the league at the time, measuring 6 ft 5in.Nottingham Evening Post Bygones page 33 Friday 2 May 2008 editionThe Legends of Notts County, Dave Bracegirdle 2005 page 91

Notts County

Albert Iremonger signed for

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football, football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of Football in England, English football, following promotion and relegation, promotion ...

from local minnows Notts Jardines, making his debut against

Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an off ...

on 1 April 1905. In total he made 564 appearances for the club making 211 consecutive appearances and holds the club record for this. Spending 21 years with the club, he totalled 37

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

appearances over 22 seasons before leaving the club to join Lincoln City. His exceptional performances for the club earned him a Football League cap in 1912. As a testament to his character and legendary status within the community, a road behind the club's ground was named for him. It is still said amongst

fans that he had "hands like the claws of a JCB".

Lincoln City

Albert Iremonger signed for Lincoln City aged 42, becoming their oldest ever player. Although he was a short-term signing, he made 35 appearances for the club from 1926 to 1927.

Temperament

Iremonger was well noted for his outspoken nature on the football pitch, which led to the end of his 211 consecutive appearances for Notts County. He would often leave his goal-mouth to argue decisions made by match officials sometimes situated in the centre of the pitch.

Cricketing career

Iremonger played county

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

for

, his career spanning between 1906 and 1910. He played with a right-handed batting and bowling style.

Children

Albert Iremonger and his wife Margaret Iremonger fathered Albert Harvey Iremonger in 1920, who went on to become a Sergeant-Pilot in the RAF. He was

killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...

on 14 July 1943, aged 23.Roll of Honour – Lincolnshire – Gedney Hill and District Memorial Hall
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Later life

Much later on in his life, during the 1940s, Iremonger was the landlord of the Cremorne in The Meadows Nottingham and later The Ferry Inn

before his death on 9 March 1958.

References

External links

Iremonger's cricketing career statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iremonger, Albert 1884 births 1958 deaths Men's association football goalkeepers English cricketers Nottinghamshire cricketers English men's footballers People from Nottingham (district) Cricketers from Nottinghamshire Jardine's Athletic F.C. players Notts County F.C. players Lincoln City F.C. players English Football League players English Football League representative players Footballers from Nottinghamshire 20th-century English sportsmen