Herbert G Steele - Charlton's most obscure player?
As I get near to the end of Volume 3 of 'The Valiant 1000', there remains a handful of players of whom little is known. I may be seeking help on one or two others in the weeks ahead, but for now, let me concentrate on Herbert Steele, who was an amateur winger from Leyton FC who spent two months on trial at Charlton in the period October to December 1925 and made three first team appearances. Nothing else is known about him, no date or place of birth, nothing. If any clever Lifers have any bright ideas and can turn up anything , however small, I would love to hear from them!!
Comments
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From ChatGPT:
“The firmest point is that Herbert Steele made his Football League debut for Charlton against Norwich City at The Valley on 17 October 1925.
He is Charlton’s heritage player number 78. The available Charlton record confirms that his three appearances were all League matches in the 1925–26 season and that he scored no goals. It still leaves his birthplace and date of birth blank, which suggests that the normal Football League player registers and later reference works have not preserved those details.
His three appearances appear to have been concentrated into a very brief run. He certainly played in Charlton’s 2–1 victory away to Southend United on 24 October 1925, the week after his debut. A contemporary-derived match listing gives the Charlton forward line in abbreviated form and includes both Steele and Jimmy Gibson. This is useful because it confirms that Steele retained his place after the Norwich match rather than making three scattered appearances.
There is also an important complication. Charlton already had another player named Steele: Alexander “Alex” Steele, the Belfast-born inside-forward who played 146 times for the club. Alex was still registered with Charlton in 1925–26 and later won two Ireland caps. Herbert therefore cannot simply be an incorrect expansion of “H. Steele” referring to Alex; Charlton’s records clearly list them as separate players.
What the evidence currently suggests is this:
Herbert Steele was probably an outside-forward or winger, recruited directly from the amateur Leyton club rather than Leyton Orient. His debut on 17 October, followed by another appearance on 24 October, fits the reported trial period from October to December. The three League appearances were therefore part of the trial itself: Charlton were prepared to test him in competitive first-team football, but apparently decided against retaining him.
I have not found evidence online that he subsequently played League football elsewhere. That is significant. Had he joined another Football League club under the name Herbert Steele, he would normally appear in the standard pre-war player indexes. The absence of another record makes it likely that he returned to amateur football, possibly to Leyton, and continued outside the professional game.
The strongest avenue of identification
The breakthrough is most likely to come from Leyton FC team reports immediately before and after the Charlton trial, rather than from Charlton records alone. The key periods are:
August to 10 October 1925: reports may describe him as “H. Steele”, “Bert Steele” or by an occupation or home district.
17 October to December 1925: reports may say that Steele was “assisting Charlton Athletic”, “on trial at Charlton” or unavailable because of his League commitments.
January to April 1926: his reappearance for Leyton might be reported as “Steele, who has returned from Charlton Athletic”.
That final wording is particularly valuable because non-league reports sometimes gave a player’s previous club, occupation or representative honours when he returned.
A possible age range
Because he was an amateur winger receiving a League trial, I would currently place his probable birth between about 1899 and 1906, making him roughly 19 to 26 in October 1925. That is only a working range, not evidence. An older player is possible, but Charlton’s use of him in three League matches suggests that they were assessing someone who might have had future value rather than merely filling an emergency vacancy.
It is also unsafe to assume that “Herbert” was his first registered name. He may appear in civil records as, for example, William Herbert Steele, George Herbert Steele or simply Bert Steele. Newspaper searches should therefore include:
“Steele of Leyton”
“H. Steele, Leyton”
“Bert Steele, Leyton”
“Steele, the Leyton winger”
“Steele on trial at Charlton”Where the decisive records are likely to be
The national web search has now largely reached its limit. The following original sources are the ones most likely to solve it:
The Athletic News editions of 12, 19 and 26 October 1925 may contain team changes and brief descriptions of new players. The Kentish Independent, which covered Charlton closely, should be checked for the Norwich match on 17 October and the matches surrounding it. East London newspapers covering Leyton are even more important, particularly the Leytonstone Express and Independent, Eastern Post, Hackney and Kingsland Gazette and Stratford Express.
Charlton’s match programme for Norwich City, 17 October 1925, is probably the single most valuable document. As a debutant from a local amateur club, Steele may have been introduced in the editorial notes. The programme for the next home fixture could also mention whether his trial was continuing.
My present conclusion is that the football record can now be stated more precisely:
Herbert Steele was an amateur outside-forward from Leyton FC who joined Charlton Athletic on trial in October 1925. He made his Football League debut against Norwich City at The Valley on 17 October and played three League matches, without scoring, during the 1925–26 season. He appeared in Charlton’s 2–1 victory at Southend United on 24 October. He was not retained and no subsequent Football League career has been traced. His date and place of birth remain unidentified.
The new information is useful, but the decisive next step is a targeted newspaper and programme search rather than trying to select a Herbert Steele from census records without an age, occupation or address. At present, any genealogical identification would be speculation.”
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Thanks, Stonemuse. but AI does not actually add anything at all. Just the usual waffle. The penultimate paragraph confirms what we already know. I have tried the newspapers and have found details of him joining us on a trial from Leyton, and have even found a mention of him in a match report of the Norwich game. Still, thanks for your efforts.0
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Have found one Herbert Gladstone Steele living in the relevant area but no direct football evidence.
Herbert Gladstone Steele born Carlisle Cumberland c October 1884 (birth registered December quarter of 1884 and 1921 Census gives his age as 36 years and 8 months. The census was taken in June).
On 19 June 1915 he married Olive M Harrison at St Mary the Virgin Church Leyton. Marriage registration shows as West Ham June quarter of 1915.
The 1921 Census shows him living with Olive and his parents are also shown as visitors. As mentioned above his age is shown as 36 years and 8 months. The address is Richmond Road and his occupation is Finance Officer for Hackney War Pensions Committee.
In May 1926 he gained a Civil Service promotion to the Ministry of Health, Education and Work.
He passed away on 28 October 1966 in Hove Sussex and probate went to Olive.
During World War 1 he served as an Acting Corporal in the Royal Army Medical Corps and was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. His service number was 1826 should Clive be able to glean any information re footballing prowess.
Arguments for: Right name and right area,
Arguments against no direct footballing evidence and age, However after World War 1 players were older so not beyond the realms in my opinion that a talented amateur 40/41 year old might have got a few games in the lowest football league division.
Anyway here it is and hope it might have hit the jackpot.5 -
Great research, Len. It is so frustrating not being able to find definite proof that he is our man. The marriage in Leyton is a very big plus. I did quite extensive family history research and came across this guy but discounted him because I only saw Carlisle and missed the Leyton connection.Thanks for your efforts. I will now trawl back through the newspapers and see if any Leyton FC reports mention him earlier than 1925.3
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Looking forward to Volume 3 by the way.0
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Not sure the chap I found above is the right bloke but this one might be.
The Daily Mirror of Tuesday 18 December 1928 has a profile with photograph of HG Steele whom had recently joined St Albans City from Leyton. I could only copy and paste part of the article:
HIS HISTORY Steele was born at Bournemouth, and when at school he p!ayed for St. Peter's, Bournemouth. On leaving school he assisted Bournemouth Y.M.C.A. and the Postal team. His first senior club was Bournemouth Amateur in the Hants League, and he H. G. Steele. gained a medal in this competition. Steele later joined Leyton, and spent three and a half years with the Essex club, although he did not always play in the first team. Like many other good footballers, he is interested in cricket and tennis, so that he keeps himself fit throughout the year.
Other than the photograph of HG Steele, a salient part of the article is that ......."Steele is in the fortunate position of being able to take the inside right or inside left position with equal distinction, though I believe his favourite place is at inside left".......... the article also states that he had been at St Albans City for barely a month at the time of writing and had made a good impression already.
No mention of a previous trial with Charlton Athletic so not a lot has changed in nearly 90 years!!
As I say a photo is included if anyone with sufficient IT ability can access the article and extract all of it.
I've tried to find a birth in Bournemouth without success but the football evidence is pretty good given we had very little. I'll keep digging for 'life details' and any further football details I can find.
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Brilliant work, Len. I have a contact with St Albans so will follow up with him.1
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I think I've found this one Len, whether he's the same one as our one I can't say
In 1921 he was working as a telegraph messenger for the Post Office in Bournemouth, which fits with the stuff in the news cutting.Name Herbert George SteeleBirth 1904 Bournemouth, Hampshire, EnglandResidence 1921 Hampshire, England1 -
Looks good to me Ali.aliwibble said:I think I've found this one Len, whether he's the same one as our one I can't say
In 1921 he was working as a telegraph messenger for the Post Office in Bournemouth, which fits with the stuff in the news cutting.Name Herbert George SteeleBirth 1904 Bournemouth, Hampshire, EnglandResidence 1921 Hampshire, England1 -
Thanks for all the help with this one. After Len's breakthrough with the piece in the Daily Mirror I've been working on it all day. Herbert George Steele was born in Bournemouth on 4th February 1904. He worked for the Post Office most of his life, married a lady called Nellie Saville in 1931 and died in Bournemouth on 21st August 2000, aged 96. I have even found an obituary in a Bournemouth paper Strangely, his three games for Charlton were not mentioned!! I have made contact with the St Albans City statistician, and maybe he can add more info about his time playing football in London.6
