25 Harry Davies

Biography

Experienced full back Harry Davies joined the Tigers on April Fools’ Day 1905 having left Doncaster Rovers to assist with the South Yorkshire club’s financial problems. He made six appearances for the Tigers in friendly matches during April and May 1905. In the close season Doncaster were not re-elected to the Second Division and Hull City took their place in an expanded division. He made a smart move.

Davies was given his senior debut for the Tigers in an October 1905 FA Cup tie against Denaby United that was played on the same day as a League match against Manchester United. While the team that faced Denaby was largely drawn from peripheral players in City’s Reserves side, Davies soon became a first teamer as he replaced manager Ambrose Langley at right back. Davies missed only three games between the end of November and the 1906 close season. Harry began the 1906/07 season as first choice left back but when Jack McQuillan came to the fore in November 1906 Davies lost his place. He left the Tigers in the 1907 close season.

Henry James “Harry” Davies was born in Tibberton, a village in Shropshire that lies a few miles north of modern day Telford New Town, and lived in Newport, Shropshire until his mid-20s. After playing in Welsh Senior League football for Welshpool he signed for First Division side Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1897 and made his Wolves’ debut in April 1898 against Nottingham Forest. Davies was a regular choice at both right back and left back for the next three seasons and by the 1901 close season he had made 72 senior appearances in old gold.

He returned to Shropshire in July 1901 and joined Birmingham League side Shrewsbury Town. After a season beside the River Severn Davies joined Division Two side Gainsborough Trinity in August 1902 and was a regular starter for two seasons, making 51 starts and scoring three goals. He scored his first senior goal from the penalty spot against Burton United in April 1903, a feat he repeated later in the same game, which ended 3-1 to Trinity. In August 1904 he signed for Doncaster Rovers and made 28 starts and scored once in his only season. By April 1905 Doncaster were rock bottom of the Second Division and in dire financial straits and the transfer of Davies to Hull City served to help ease Rovers’ debt burden.

Davies joined Leicester Fosse in October 1907 but made no first team appearances and left the game shortly after a spell with Oldfields, a local league club in Uttoxeter. By 1911 he had settled in Uttoxeter, a market town between Stoke-on-Trent and Derby, where he worked at a foundry that made agricultural implements. His son, also called Harry Davies, was prolific goalscorer for Stoke City in the 1920s and 1930s.

By 1939 Davies had moved to Shelton in the Potteries where he was landlord of the Sneyd Arms Hotel. He died in the hotel in January 1940.

Details

Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 13 December 1875, Tibberton
Hull City First Game: 28 October 1905, Denaby United A (FA Cup Second Qualifying Round), 29 years, 319 days old
Hull City Final Game: 19 January 1907, Gainsborough Trinity H (Division Two), 31 years, 37 days old

Clubs

Welshpool (1895-1897), Wolverhampton Wanderers (1897-1901), Shrewsbury Town (1901-1902), Gainsborough Trinity (1902-1904), Doncaster Rovers (1904-1905), Hull City (1905-1907), Leicester Fosse (1907-1908)

Hull City Record

Career: 38 apps, 0 goals

Harry Davies
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EUR
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OTH
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OTH
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1904/05
1905/0623040
1906/07110

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