Profile

Harry Beadles' background is an interesting one.

Due to economic reasons he was forced to leave school at 12 years of age to work at Pryce Jones Welsh Warehouse, Newtown, as a furrier and hosier. When war broke out he enlisted in August 1914 and a year later while serving as Rifleman in Gallipoli, Turkey, he was awarded the Serbian Gold Medal for "Gallantry".

A Serbian Observer Officer had been wounded in no man's land and despite heavy artillery fire, Harry saved his life. After the war Harry's regiment was left in Palestine until mid-1919 where he displayed his football skills, being a part of the Seventh Royal Welsh Fusiliers that won the British Forces (Egypt) Football League Cup Final in 1919. (NOTE: The majority of this profile is based on information by Harry's son and granddaughter).

Harry returned to Newtown after the war and played for his local club from 1919-1920 until he moved to Merseyside where he represented an amateur side in Liverpool, Grayson's of Garston, a well-known local shipping company. Harry was officially employed by the firm, clocking on and off each day and being paid despite only making the tea!

It appeared they were more interested in his footballing skills. In May 1921 he and teammate Danny Shone were signed by Liverpool. Beadles started well at Liverpool, scoring six goals in 12 games in his debut season when Liverpool won the league for the first time in 16 years. Liverpool's team was immensely strong at this time and Harry never established himself in the side that also won the title the following season.

In August 1924, he joined his old army buddy and mentor from the Seventh Royal Welsh Fusiliers, George Latham, who was coach at Cardiff City and incidentally a former Liverpool player. Beadles was part of the Cardiff team that lost 1-0 to Sheffield United in the FA Cup final. Cardiff succeeded in winning the FA Cup by beating Arsenal 1-0 in April 1927, but Harry was not part of that victorious side as due to lack of funds he was sold to Sheffield Wednesday in late November 1925. Harry only made Wednesday's reserves and joined Southport in Third Division North nine months later. Beadles was captain and top-scorer in each of his three seasons there, scoring 66 goals in 102 appearances. A knee injury curtailed his career and in July 1929 he moved to Ireland to play for and coach Dundalk FC which proved to be his final club.

From 1939 he was a hotelier at the Hillside in Huyton, Liverpool and in the late 1940s, with declining health, ran a pub, The Canon, near Anfield and enjoyed the banter with the Liverpool and Everton fans. He also attended matches at Anfield, queuing up and paying to stand on the Kop alongside all other supporters.

Other clubs:
Newtown, Grayson's of Garston, Cardiff, Sheff Wed, Southport, Workington (amateur), Dundalk