Albert James "Albie" Roles (29 September 1921 – 3 October 2012) was an English

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 lea ...

who played as a full back for

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

. His career was interrupted by the Second World War and, as a result, he only made one

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

and four

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.

Football career

Roles was born in Southampton and attended the Deanery School, becoming an apprentice engineer. He represented Southampton and Hampshire Schools and played his youth football with Albion Boys Club. While playing in the Southampton Junior League, he was spotted by scouts from

and joined them as an amateur in 1938. By the time he turned professional in October 1940, League football had been suspended because of the war, but Roles made 188 wartime appearances, more than any other Saints player. Roles was not

conscripted Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

during the war because his employment, making engines for torpedo boats at Parsons on the Town Quay, was a

reserved occupation A reserved occupation (also known as essential services) is an occupation considered important enough to a country that those serving in such occupations are exempt or forbidden from military service. In a total war, such as the Second World War, ...

. During the war, Roles also made at least one guest appearance for

West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...

. Described as a "mobile left-back", Roles played in four

matches in 1945–46, defeating Newport County 6–4 on aggregate before going out to

Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...

, 3–5 on aggregate. In the summer of 1946, Roles was called up to do his

National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...

and before he returned to The Dell in 1948, his position at left back was occupied by Bill Rochford who had been signed in July 1946. On his return to the club after his National Service, Roles was placed on the

transfer list The transfer market is the arena in which football players are available for transfer to clubs. The transfer market consists of a list of players available for transfer, and also the money moving between clubs as they contest to purchase and sell t ...

, but was re-engaged for the start of the 1948–49 season. Roles had to wait until 4 April 1949 before he was selected again for the first team, when Rochford was unavailable for the trip to

Bradford Park Avenue Bradford (Park Avenue) Association Football Club, sometimes abbreviated as BPA AFC, is an association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in , at the eighth tier of the English football league ...

. At this time, Southampton were eight points clear at the top of the

Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...

table with seven matches left to play and were confident of promotion. In the event, Southampton (also without top-scorer,

Charlie Wayman Charles Wayman (16 May 1921 – 26 February 2006) was an English footballer. Wayman, who was born in Chilton, Bishop Auckland, was a prolific centre-forward in the first decade after the Second World War. Newcastle United signed him from Spe ...

) lost 2–0 at Bradford and only won once in the final six matches, missing promotion by one point. In May 1949, Roles was released by the club, and joined Gloucester City for a brief spell before becoming player-manager at

Cowes Cowes () is an England, English port, seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked b ...

Later career

In 1952, Roles and his wife both contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

and spent two years in hospital. Following his recovery, Roles was employed by

Harland & Wolff Harland & Wolff Holdings plc is a British shipbuilding and Metal fabrication, fabrication company headquartered in London with sites in Belfast, Arnish yard, Arnish, Appledore, Torridge, Appledore and Methil. It specialises in ship repair, ship ...

, before spending twenty years as a technician at Southampton Institute of Higher Education. Roles died on 3 October 2012, aged 91 years. He had been married to Vie for sixty six years; the couple had one son, David.

References

External links

Career details on 11 v 11.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roles, Albie 1921 births 2012 deaths Footballers from Southampton English men's footballers Men's association football defenders Southampton F.C. players Gloucester City A.F.C. players Cowes Sports F.C. players English Football League players West Ham United F.C. wartime guest players English football managers 20th-century English sportsmen