Arthur Tilford was an English professional footballer who played as a full-back for various clubs in the 1920s and 1930s.

Football career

Tilford was born in Ilkeston

Ilkeston

Ilkeston is a town within the Borough of Erewash, in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the River Erewash, from which the local borough takes its name. Its population at the 2001 census was 37,550...

, Derbyshire

Derbyshire

Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...

 and, after playing for a local village side, he joined First Division

Football League First Division

The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

 in May 1924. He made only one First Division appearance for Nottingham Forest as they were relegated at the end of the 1923–24 season. In the following season, he made only seven appearances, generally at left-half, as stand-in for Bob Wallace

Bob Wallace (footballer born 1893)

Robert Stewart Wallace was a footballer who played in the Football League for Nottingham Forest.-References:...

.

After two seasons at Forest, he was transferred to Blackpool

Blackpool F.C.

Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

 where he was moved to left-back, replacing George Bradshaw

George Bradshaw (footballer)

George Bradshaw was an English professional footballer. He played for Blackpool, Bury and Tranmere Rovers.-Career:...

. Tilford made a total of 55 appearances for Blackpool before being replaced in turn by Stan Ramsay

Stan Ramsay

Stanley Hunter "Stan" Ramsay was a footballer and a member of the Norwich City Hall of Fame.Ryton-born Ramsay made 82 appearances for Norwich as a left-half and left-back between 1932 and 1934, scoring once .Before playing for Norwich, Ramsay appeared for Blackpool and Sunderland...

.

Tilford then dropped down to the Third Division South when he joined Coventry City

Coventry City F.C.

Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

 in May 1929, where he spent three seasons, before joining Fulham

Fulham F.C.

Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

 in February 1932. At the end of his first season with Fulham, they were promoted as champions to the Second Division.

Tilford had established himself at left-back when the death of his young daughter in late 1932 caused a loss of form. Manager Jimmy McIntyre

Jimmy McIntyre

James Alfred "Jimmy" McIntyre was an English footballer who became manager at Southampton, Coventry City and Fulham.-Playing career:...

 had just agreed to sign Mike Keeping from Southampton

Southampton F.C.

Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

 and suggested that Tilford should move to The Dell temporarily to help him recover from his loss. During his short spell with Southampton, Tilford continued to train at Craven Cottage

Craven Cottage

Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....

 and made only ten appearances for the "Saints".

In the summer of 1933, Tilford re-signed with Fulham but by now Keeping had established himself at left-back and Tilford was unable to force himself back into the side. After only five more appearances, he moved to Walsall

Walsall F.C.

Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...

 where he spent the 1934–35 season before retiring.