Henry A. Clay (29 January 1881 – 9 August 1964) was an English professional

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player in the years prior to the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He made 310 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 ...

and 32 appearances in the FA Cup for his only professional club,

Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern League and Western L ...

Career

Born in

Kimberley, Nottinghamshire Kimberley is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire, England, lying 6 miles northwest of Nottingham along the A610. The town grew as a centre for coal mining, brewing and hosiery manufacturing. At the 2011 c ...

, he began his career with local hometown club Kimberley St Johns before Bristol City manager Sam Hollis signed him in November 1901 for

. Clay made his league debut for Bristol City v Chesterfield on 7 Dec 1901 and made 23 appearances as City finished 6th of 18 teams in the Second Division. Ever present with 34 appearances in the next three successive seasons 1902–03, 1903-04 & 1904-05 when City rose to 4th place on each occasion. Season 1905-06 saw City finish top of the Second Division table as Clay played in 36 of the 38 league matches. With City promoted to the First Division in 1906-07 Clay played only 8 games as William Demmery was the goalkeeper who won the League runners up medal. Clay played 11 matches in season 1907-08 when Albert Edward Talbot-Lewis was the regular goalkeeper. Clay returned to the side in season 1908-09 making 37 appearances for the "Robins" and played all rounds of the FA Cup and in the

1909 FA Cup Final The 1909 FA Cup final was the final match of the 1908–09 FA Cup, the 38th season of England's premier club football cup competition. The match was played on 24 April 1909 at Crystal Palace, and was contested by Manchester United and Bristol ...

defeat by

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

played at the Crystal Palace. He played regularly 29 appearances in 1909-10 and 28 appearances in 1910-11 when City were relegated after finishing 19th out of 20 clubs in the First Division. Clay made further league appearances in the Second Division, 25 appearances in 1911-12 and 12 appearances the following season. He played his final match on 16 Nov 1912 for Bristol City v

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

in a 0–0 draw before retiring in 1913. He served in the Army in the First World War and was then groundsman at BAC, Filton and Canford Park, Westbury on Trym in Bristol.

Honours

;with Bristol City *

Football League Second Division The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third tier ...

champion: 1905–06 *

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 ...

runner-up:

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escapes death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Janu ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clay, Harry 1881 births People from Kimberley, Nottinghamshire Footballers from Nottinghamshire 1964 deaths English men's footballers Men's association football goalkeepers Kimberley St John's F.C. players Bristol City F.C. players English Football League players