Henry Thomas Earle (23 November 1868 – 1951), known as Harry Earle, was an English footballer who played as a

centre-half In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

and goalkeeper for Millwall Athletic, Clapton and Notts County from the 1890s to the early part of the 20th century. Earle was born in

East Grinstead East Grinstead is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, south of London, northeast of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the extreme northeast of the county, the civ ...

, and was employed at Godwin Road School in Forest Gate. Although he wasn't qualified as a teacher, he was eventually co-opted as such, due to his 33 years of service. His appearance for Clapton once sparked an article in the local newspaper after he had requested permission to leave work early to attend a game. Previous requests had been declined, but this time, his request was granted following a vote. In the article, members of the West Ham School Board described football, and cricket, as being a waste of time. This denunciation of sport was supported by the local priest, Father Ring, who said that it was only a little less of a scandal than the drinking business. Further controversy was to come when he was declared to be a professional by the

Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world an ...

. He had accepted a set of furniture from Clapton as a wedding gift and the FA had deemed this to be a form of payment. Both Earle and the club unsuccessfully appealed. As a result, Earle signed as a professional with Notts County, where he played in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

for one season. He continued to be the trainer of West Ham Schools throughout his playing career and beyond his retirement, leaving the role in 1912. When he returned to the Old Spotted Dog Ground with his new club in 1905 for a friendly match, he encountered opposite number J. Wilding, who had once been the West Ham Schools goalkeeper under his charge. Wilding would go on to play for Clapton in two

FA Amateur Cup The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status. History Following the legalisation of professionalism within footba ...

finals. Married to Emma Elizabeth Earle, he was the father of six children, one of whom,

Stan Earle Stanley George James Earle (6 September 1897 – 26 September 1971) was an English footballer who played as an inside-right in the Football League for Arsenal, West Ham United and Clapton Orient. He was capped for England at amateur and full ...

also played for Clapton, and for England as an Amateur and Full International and later, as a professional player, with West Ham United between 1924 and 1932. Harry Earle died in 1951. His obituary, in the ''Stratford Express'', was adamant that he had never once accepted a pay packet despite the imposition of his professional status.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Earle, Harry 1868 births 1951 deaths Sportspeople from East Grinstead Footballers from West Sussex English men's footballers Men's association football central defenders Men's association football goalkeepers Millwall F.C. players Arsenal F.C. players Clapton F.C. players Notts County F.C. players English Football League players