Barry Hartle (8 August 1939 – 29 January 2025) 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 an

inside Inside may refer to: Film * ''Inside'' (1996 film), an American television film directed by Arthur Penn and starring Eric Stoltz * ''Inside'' (2002 film), a Canadian prison drama film * ''Inside'' (2006 film), an American thriller film starri ...

outside left In the sport of association football, a forward (attacker or striker) is an outfield position which primarily plays further up the pitch than midfielders and defenders. As with any attacking player, the role of the forward relies heavily on be ...

. Born in

Salford, Greater Manchester Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...

he made over 300 appearances in

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, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...

between 1956 and 1971 before dropping into non-league football.

Career

Hartle was spotted by

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

while playing in a local park as a schoolboy at

Salford Grammar School Salford Grammar School was a grammar school for boys in Salford, founded in 1904. From 1969, it was known as Salford Grammar Technical School. It was disestablished in 1973, with the coming of comprehensive education. History The school was est ...

and agreed terms as a junior in 1956. Making his

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...

debut two years later in December 1958, Hartle became a key member of Watford's first-team squad, and was part of their side that won promotion from

Division Four The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Following the creation of the Premier L ...

during their 1959–60 season. Having impressed in the lower divisions, Hartle was signed by Division Two side

Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history ...

for £2,750 in June 1960, but only made three competitive appearances during his first season with the Blades. However, following United's promotion to Division One Hartle began to feature more regularly, although still primarily used when other teammates were unavailable. It wasn't until the 1964–65 season that Hartle established himself in the first-team, playing in all but three of United's competitive fixtures that season. A year later however, Hartle was sold to

Carlisle United Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team currently compete in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system. They have played their ...

in July 1966 for £14,900, representing a large profit on Sheffield United's initial investment. Hartle only remained at Carlisle for just over a season, joining

Stockport County Stockport County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in EFL League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton ...

in September 1967. From there Hartle moved to

Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional association football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2025–26 EFL League Two, 2025–26 season, the team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the Eng ...

in June 1970 before, after making just over 300 career league appearances, dropping into non-league when he signed for

Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...

in July 1971. His career winding down, Hartle went on to play for

Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an association football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Initially known as Macclesfield F.C., the club was formed in 1874 and from 1891 played home games at Moss Rose. It competed in the short ...

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, in the East Midlands region of England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Alston, Cumbria also claims this, but lacks a regu ...

, Witton Albion and

Hyde United Hyde United Football Club is a semi-professional football club in Hyde, Greater Manchester, England, formed in 1919. The team's strip is red shirts and black shorts and their home ground is the 4,250 capacity Ewen Fields. Hyde United's record ...

before retiring in 1977.

Personal life and death

Born in

, Hartle attended

. After his retirement from football, Hartle was employed as a postman and then later as a taxi driver. He died on 29 January 2025, at the age of 85.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartle, Barry 1939 births 2025 deaths Footballers from Salford English men's footballers Men's association football forwards Watford F.C. players Sheffield United F.C. players Carlisle United F.C. players Stockport County F.C. players Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players Southport F.C. players Macclesfield Town F.C. players Buxton F.C. players Witton Albion F.C. players Hyde United F.C. players English Football League players National League (English football) players People educated at Salford Grammar School British taxi drivers