Jump to content

Vic Rouse (footballer, born 1897)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Val Rouse
Rouse in 1928
Personal information
Full name Alfred Valentine Rouse[1]
Date of birth (1897-02-14)14 February 1897[1]
Place of birth Hoddesdon, England[1]
Date of death 1961 (aged 63–64)[1]
Height 5 ft 8+12 in (1.74 m)[2]
Position(s) Left half
Youth career
Llanelly
Pontypridd
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1921–1922 Wolverhampton Wanderers 5 (0)
1922–1926 Stoke 92 (2)
1926 Swansea Town 4 (0)
1926–1929 Port Vale 95 (0)
1929–1931 Crewe Alexandra 83 (1)
Connah's Quay & Shotton
Total 279 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alfred Valentine "Val or Vic" Rouse (14 February 1897 – 1961) was an English footballer who played for Crewe Alexandra, Port Vale, Stoke, Swansea Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers and was described as a 'gentleman' player.[1]

Career

[edit]

Rouse was born in Hoddesdon and played for Welsh sides Llanelly and Pontypridd before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1921.[1] He played five Second Division games for "Wolves" in the 1921–22 campaign, before joining First Division club Stoke in August 1922.[1] He played in 38 matches in 1922–23 as Stoke suffered relegation back to the Second Division.[1] Manager Tom Mather kept faith with Rouse at left-half in 1923–24, and made him captain for the 1924–25 campaign. He scored his first senior goal in a 1–1 draw with Barnsley at the Victoria Ground on 1 November 1924. Despite possessing a strong squad, overall performances on the pitch were below standard, and the team went 12 matches without a win (1 January 1925 to 21 March 1925) and was almost relegated.[1] Four wins and three draws in their last eight matches ensured survival by the narrowest of margins, a single point.[1] Rouse was sold to Swansea Town but featured just four times for the "Swans" in 1925–26. He left Vetch Field and joined Port Vale in June 1926.[3] He played 29 Second Division matches in the 1926–27 season and then 39 league games in the 1927–28 season, as Vale posted top ten finishes. However, he lost his first-team place at The Old Recreation Ground in February 1929 and was given a free transfer in May 1929. He spent the 1929–30 and 1930–31 seasons in the Third Division North with Crewe Alexandra, before joining Connah's Quay & Shotton.

Career statistics

[edit]

Source:[4]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1921–22 Second Division 5 0 0 0 5 0
Stoke 1922–23 First Division 37 0 1 0 38 0
1923–24 Second Division 24 0 1 0 25 0
1924–25 Second Division 31 2 1 0 32 2
Total 92 2 3 0 95 2
Swansea Town 1925–26 Second Division 4 0 0 0 4 0
Port Vale 1926–27 Second Division 29 0 3 0 33 0
1927–28 Second Division 38 0 3 0 41 0
1928–29 Second Division 28 0 1 0 29 0
Total 95 0 7 0 102 0
Crewe Alexandra 1929–30 Third Division North 42 0 2 0 44 0
1930–31 Third Division North 41 1 2 0 43 1
Total 83 1 4 0 87 1
Career total 279 3 14 0 293 3

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ Onward (21 August 1922). "Few big transfers in the First Division of the Football League. Stoke". Athletic News. Manchester. p. 5.
  3. ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 254. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  4. ^ Vic Rouse at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)