*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Almer Hall
Appearances: 67 Goals: 36
Date / Year of birth: 12th November 1912
Position: Midfielder / Striker
Season of first appearance: 1950/51
Season of last appearance: 1952/53
Also played for: Southwick, Brighton & Hove Albion (0), Tottenham Hotspur (21,3), Southend United (41,10), Bradford City (1,0) and West Ham United (56,14)
Clever 5' 7" tall attacker born in Hove who began his career in Sussex with Southwick and won two Sussex Senior Cup winners' medals as a teenager during the 1929/30 and 1930/31 seasons before joining Brighton ahead of the 1931/32 campaign.
Although Almer didn't play for the Seagulls' first team during three years with the club he came to the attention of Tottenham who signed him in October 1934.
Almer went to make 21 first team appearances for Spurs spanning the 1934/35 and 1935/36 seasons and scored three goals before being released at the end of the 1936/37 campaign.
He then moved on to Southend where he scored ten goals from 41 senior outings during 1937/38 and 1938/39 and Almer then signed for Bradford City shortly before the outbreak of World War II.
During the conflict he played as a guest for West Ham and scored 23 goals in 34 wartime appearances for the Irons. In December 1945 Almer was officially transferred from Bradford to West Ham and he went on to score 14 goals from 56 post-war first team appearances for the Hammers spanning the seasons from 1945/46 through to 1948/49.
In the summer of 1950 he joined Margate as player-manager and Almer also acted as the club's physiotherapist having qualified towards the end of his time at West Ham. He made his debut in a 3-0 defeat at Snowdown in the Kent League on 23.8.50 - the opening day of the 1950/51 campaign - and Almer went on to score 24 times in 35 outings during the season. He also made a host of goals for other players with his incisive passing. Almer's goal tally included four in an amazing 11-2 win over Tunbridge Wells at Hartsdown Park on 26.12.50 and he also bagged a hat-trick in a 6-2 home win over Whitstable on 6.1.51.
Almer was troubled by injuries during the 1951/52 campaign but made a further 20 appearances and added another seven goals to his tally including a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Canterbury at Hartsdown Park on 15.9.51.
Almer celebrated his 40th birthday during the 1952/53 season but still played when required. He made 12 appearances during the campaign, the first in November 1952, and his five goals proved that he was still a very useful player. After featuring in the side that drew 1-1 with visitors Folkestone on 9.5.53 to share the Kent Senior Shield Almer retired from playing although he did turn out for the reserves in a Christmas friendly against the first team during the 1953/54 campaign.
Almer eventually completed a remarkable 20 years as Margate's manager to cement his place as one of the club's legendary figures before stepping down at the end of the 1969/70 season aged 57. He was still involved behind the scenes at Hartsdown Park during 1970/71 and then became a scout at Luton.
Almer died on 7.11.94, a few days before his 82nd birthday and curiously exactly sixty years since his first team debut for Spurs. Local press stalwart Dave Cooper paid tribute to Almer by saying "over a near 40-year period of working with sports personalities few are as dear to my heart as Almer Hall." He went on to say "he had that rare ability of establishing an immediate rapport with virtually everyone with whom he came into contact. Football may have been his career and, to a large extent, his life but he could discourse at a moment's notice on almost anything under the sun and leave a total stranger feeling that he had made a new friend."
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1950/51 (MFC) |
35 (41) |
N/A |
24 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (6TH OF 17) |
EPR |
1R |
2R |
RU |
|
Played in Kent
Senior Shield Final (12.05.51 - lost 2-0 to Folkestone Town). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1951/52 (MFC) |
20 (38) |
N/A |
7 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (4TH OF 17) |
1QR |
2R |
1R |
N/A |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1952/53 (MFC) |
12 (43) |
N/A |
5 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (11TH OF 17) |
PR |
2R |
RU |
JW |
|
Played in Kent
Senior Shield Final (09.05.53 - drew 1-1 with Folkestone to share
trophy). | |||||||||