Archibald Rammell Small (1889–1955) was an English
amateur
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played at
inside-forward
Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
for
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
in the years prior to
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Football career
Small was born in
Droitwich,
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...
and was a prominent member of the
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
football team when employed at the
Ordnance Survey
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offices in
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
.
He joined
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
as an amateur in 1911, making his
first-team debut at
inside-right, when he scored in a 2–2 draw at
West Ham
West Ham is an area in East London, located east of Charing Cross in the west of the modern London Borough of Newham.
The area, which lies immediately to the north of the River Thames and east of the River Lea, was originally an ancien ...
on 9 September 1911. After six matches in which the "Saints" struggled, Small was dropped and replaced by
Harry Brown. He continued to play regularly for the
reserves, scoring 19 goals, as a result of which he earned a County Cap for
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
.
By mid-March 1912, the team were continuing to struggle and were in danger of being
relegated; Small was one of several players recalled for the last nine matches by manager
George Swift in an ultimately successful bid to avoid relegation.
For the following season, the "Saints" recruited
Fred Taylor from
Wellington Town
Telford United Football Club was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.
The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was a founder member of the Alliance Premier League (la ...
and
Fred Turnbull from
Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
and, as a result, Small was restricted to five further appearances.
By the summer of 1913, Small had left the Saints and returned to play for the
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
. After the
war, he was still actively playing for the
Ordnance Survey
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team, earning further County caps, and continued to work at the London Road premises until his retirement.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Small, Archie
1889 births
1955 deaths
People from Droitwich Spa
English footballers
Association football wingers
Southampton F.C. players
Southern Football League players
Royal Engineers A.F.C. players
Sportspeople from Worcestershire
Royal Engineers soldiers