Edwin Simpson (21 January 1909 – 31 August 1973) was an English professional footballer who played as a left-half. Born in Chilton, County Durham, he played 17 matches in the Football League for Nelson and also had spells in

non-League football Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...

Career

Simpson started his career in senior football as an amateur with Chilton Colliery Railway Athletic in October 1926. In March of the following year, he was given a trial at

Football League First Division The Football League First Division was a division of the Football League in England from 1888 until 2004. It was the top division in the English football league system from the season 1888–89 until 1991–92, a century in which the First ...

side Blackburn Rovers but was deemed to be unready for that standard of football. Blackburn recommended Simpson to local Third Division North club Nelson, who signed the player as a professional on 16 March 1927. He made his league debut on 18 April 1927 in the 0–3 home defeat to Chesterfield, deputising for regular left-half

Ronald Mitchell Ronald Mitchell (born July quarter 1902, deceased) was an English professional footballer who played as a left-half. After beginning his career as an amateur, Mitchell joined Liverpool in 1924 but failed to make a first-team appearance. In 192 ...

. Simpson began the 1927–28 campaign as first-choice but was replaced by trialist Alfred Brown after five matches. He returned to the team for a short spell during the middle of the season before losing his left-half berth to new signing

Arthur Hepworth Arthur Hepworth (28 February 1908 – February 1988) was an English professional footballer, who played as a half-back. He was the son of Walter Hepworth, who assisted Barnsley in the Football League during the late 1890s, and the older brothe ...

. Simpson made his seventeenth and final appearance for Nelson on 16 April 1928, playing as a makeshift

centre 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 ...

in the 1–4 defeat away at

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

. Nelson finished bottom of the Third Division North at the end of the campaign and Simpson was one of several players to leave the club during the summer of 1928. He subsequently signed for Crewe Alexandra but failed to make a first-team appearance during his season in Cheshire. Following this unsuccessful spell, Simpson returned to the north-east of England and moved into

, initially with Craghead United before ending his playing career with South Moor Colliery.

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Edwin 1909 births 1973 deaths People from Chilton, County Durham Footballers from County Durham English men's footballers Men's association football defenders Nelson F.C. players Crewe Alexandra F.C. players Craghead United F.C. players English Football League players