Gerry Kelly (footballer)

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Gerry Kelly
Personal information
Full name Gerard Michael Kelly
Date of birth (1908-09-18)18 September 1908
Place of birth South Hylton, Sunderland, England
Date of death January qtr. 1983 (aged 74)
Place of death Luton, England
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Castletown
Hylton Colliery Welfare
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1927–1928 Sunderland 0 (0)
1928–1929 Nelson 47 (15)
1929–1931 Huddersfield Town 37 (15)
1931–1932 Charlton Athletic 20 (6)
1932–1936 Chester 73 (27)
1936–1937 Port Vale 20 (2)
1937–1939 Southampton 19 (2)
Total 216 (67)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gerard Michael Kelly (18 September 1908 – January qtr. 1983)[1][2] was an English footballer who scored 67 goals in 216 league appearances in a 12-year career in the Football League from 1927 to 1939. He played for Sunderland, Nelson, Huddersfield Town, Charlton Athletic, Chester, Port Vale, and Southampton.

Career[edit]

Kelly left Hylton Colliery at the age of 19 to sign for Sunderland in 1927. He never made the first-team at Roker Park and the following year joined Nelson. He scored 11 goals in 38 appearances in the 1928–29 season, bagging his first goal in the Football League in a 5–1 win over Southport at Haig Avenue on 8 September. He scored four goals in nine Third Division North games in the 1929–30 campaign, before departing Seedhill.

He signed with Huddersfield Town,[3] and scored seven goals in 14 First Division games in the 1929–30 season. He scored eight goals in 20 appearances for the "Terriers" in the 1930–31 campaign, including a hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 10 September. However, he played just four games at Leeds Road at the start of the 1931–32 season, before signing with Charlton Athletic, and seeing out the 1931–32 season with six goals in 20 Second Division games for the "Addicks".

He then left The Valley and joined Chester. The "Seals" finished fourth in the Third Division North in 1932–33, before posting tenth and third-place finishes in 1933–34 and 1934–35 He scored 27 goals in 73 league appearances in his time at Sealand Road. He joined Third Division North side Port Vale for a "substantial fee" in June 1936.[1] Starting off firmly in the first XI, his place slipped away over the 1936–37 season and he went on to score twice in 21 league and cup games.[1] He also played for the reserve team in the Cheshire County League and represented the league against a Southern Football League XI at Portman Road on 27 February 1937.[4] In August 1937 he was given a free transfer from The Old Recreation Ground to Second Division club Southampton.[1]

A very quick right-winger who could also play as a centre-forward, he arrived at The Dell to add depth to the Southampton forward line. Although he brought a wealth of experience with him, he spent most of his time in the reserves and in his two years on the south coast, he made only 19 first-team appearances, scoring twice.[2] Following the outbreak of the Second World War his professional career ended and he retired from the game.[2]

Career statistics[edit]

Source:[5]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sunderland 1927–28 First Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nelson 1928–29 Third Division North 38 11 0 0 0 0 38 11
1929–30 Third Division North 9 4 0 0 0 0 9 4
Total 47 15 0 0 0 0 47 15
Huddersfield Town 1929–30 First Division 14 7 0 0 0 0 14 7
1930–31 First Division 19 8 1 0 0 0 20 8
1931–32 First Division 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Total 37 15 1 0 0 0 38 15
Charlton Athletic 1931–32 Second Division 12 5 0 0 0 0 12 5
1932–33 Second Division 8 1 0 0 0 0 8 1
Total 20 6 0 0 0 0 20 6
Chester 1932–33 Third Division North 15 5 1 0 0 0 16 5
1933–34 Third Division North 19 7 0 0 3 0 22 7
1934–35 Third Division North 25 8 2 2 1 1 28 11
1935–36 Third Division North 14 7 0 0 0 0 14 7
Total 73 27 3 2 4 1 80 30
Port Vale 1936–37 Third Division North 20 2 1 0 0 0 21 2
Southampton 1937–38 Second Division 14 2 0 0 0 0 14 2
1938–39 Second Division 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
1939–40 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Total 19 2 0 0 1 0 20 2
Career total 216 67 5 2 5 1 226 70

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 161. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ^ a b c Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. p. 194. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
  3. ^ 99 Years & Counting – Stats & Stories – Huddersfield Town History
  4. ^ official matchday programme Port Vale v Cambridge United (PDF). 27 February 2021. p. 25. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  5. ^ Gerry Kelly at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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