Haydn Price
Encyclopedia
Ioan Haydn Price was a Welsh footballer who played at wing half
or centre forward for various clubs in the period prior to World War I
, before brief spells as a manager with Walsall
and Grimsby Town
.
in Glamorgan
and after playing for Mardy Corinthians joined Aberdare Athletic
in 1902, where he played in the 1904 Welsh Cup
Final against Druids
, losing narrowly 3–2. Price was a schoolteacher by profession and was nicknamed "the Birmingham schoolmaster".
In December 1904, Price joined Aston Villa
of the English First Division; at this time, Villa had a large playing staff and Price rarely played for the reserves and never played for the first team. Nonetheless, he was selected for his first Welsh Cap while still playing for Villa's third team. His international debut came in a 1–0 victory over Scotland
at the Racecourse Ground
, Wrexham
on 4 March 1907, with the only goal coming from Grenville Morris
.
Described as a "strong sprinter with good distributive ability but faulty shooting", Price was an extremely versatile player who could play at wing half, left wing or as a central forward.
In 1907, Price moved to Burton United
where he played just one League game, in Burton's final match before they lost their League status at the end of the 1906–07 season. Price remained with Burton United for a year after they were relegated to the Birmingham & District League, before joining fellow Birmingham and District League club Wrexham
at the start of the 1908–09 season. Whilst with Burton, he received his second Welsh cap, in a 1–0 defeat at the Athletic Ground, Aberdare
by Ireland on 11 April 1908.
Price spent one season at Wrexham, at the end of which the club won the Welsh Cup
, although Price was not a member of the Cup Final eleven. Whilst with Wrexham, he picked up a further three Welsh caps, playing in all Wales' matches in the 1909 British Home Championship
.
In the summer of 1909, Price returned to the English Second Division with Leeds City but found it hard to force his way into the first team. After just eight Football League appearances, he left Elland Road
at the end of the season to return to the Birmingham League with Shrewsbury Town
. He moved on to Walsall
in 1911, staying there for four years until he retired having become the club's Secretary/Manager in July 1912. During World War One, Price played for Tottenham Hotspur
as a guest, making nine appearances, scoring three goals.
, who were based in Tonypandy
. Whilst in his first spell as Mid Rhondda's manager, Price helped rescue the career of Jimmy Seed
which had stalled during the war; Seed went on to have a long career with Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday
as well as making five appearances for England
. Other players on Mid Rhondda's books at this time were former England international, Joe Bache and future Wales international, Dai Collier. The club had a successful time in the seven months that Price was manager, winning both the Southern League
Division Two and the Welsh League
titles.
In July 1920, Price became manager at Grimsby Town
; he succeeded H.N. Hickson but unlike his predecessor, he was given responsibility for signing new players and for team selection. He quickly returned to his former club, signing five players including Collier and Bache, as well as Jimmy Carmichael, Albert Irvine and Harry Moody. His spell as manager at Blundell Park
was short-lived ending in acrimony in November 1920 when he resigned publicly in a letter to the Grimsby Evening Telegraph
citing interference by the board in his team selections.
Price returned to Mid Rhondda in 1921 where he was hit by more controversy when the club failed to pay its players and other debts and was suspended by the Football Association of Wales
.
Price died in Portsmouth
in March 1964 in his early 80s.
Wing half
In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
or centre forward for various clubs in the period prior to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, before brief spells as a manager with 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...
and Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
.
Playing career
Price was born at MaerdyMaerdy
Maerdy is a village and community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, and within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying at the head of the Rhondda Fach Valley.- History :...
in Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
and after playing for Mardy Corinthians joined Aberdare Athletic
Aberdare Athletic F.C.
Aberdare Athletic Football Club were a Welsh football club founded in 1893 and based in Aberdare. They joined the Football League in 1921 but were replaced by Torquay United after failing to be re-elected in 1927.-History:...
in 1902, where he played in the 1904 Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
Final against Druids
Druids F.C.
Ruabon Druids F.C. were a football club based in village of Ruabon near Wrexham. The club was founded in 1869 as Plasmadoc F.C. by David Thomson and his brother, George, of Ruabon...
, losing narrowly 3–2. Price was a schoolteacher by profession and was nicknamed "the Birmingham schoolmaster".
In December 1904, Price joined Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
of the English First Division; at this time, Villa had a large playing staff and Price rarely played for the reserves and never played for the first team. Nonetheless, he was selected for his first Welsh Cap while still playing for Villa's third team. His international debut came in a 1–0 victory over Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
, Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
on 4 March 1907, with the only goal coming from Grenville Morris
Grenville Morris
Arthur Grenville Morris was a Welsh footballer who played for Nottingham Forest and Swindon Town, and who was also capped by Wales. Usually just known as Grenville Morris, he was born in Builth Wells, Wales...
.
Described as a "strong sprinter with good distributive ability but faulty shooting", Price was an extremely versatile player who could play at wing half, left wing or as a central forward.
In 1907, Price moved to Burton United
Burton United F.C.
Burton United Football Club was an English football club from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire that played in The Football League between 1901 and 1907, before folding in 1910.-History:...
where he played just one League game, in Burton's final match before they lost their League status at the end of the 1906–07 season. Price remained with Burton United for a year after they were relegated to the Birmingham & District League, before joining fellow Birmingham and District League club Wrexham
Wrexham A.F.C.
Wrexham Football Club are a professional football team based in Wrexham, north-east Wales, who play in the English football pyramid.Founded in 1872, they are one of the oldest surviving football clubs in Britain and the oldest professional club in Wales...
at the start of the 1908–09 season. Whilst with Burton, he received his second Welsh cap, in a 1–0 defeat at the Athletic Ground, Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
by Ireland on 11 April 1908.
Price spent one season at Wrexham, at the end of which the club won the Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
, although Price was not a member of the Cup Final eleven. Whilst with Wrexham, he picked up a further three Welsh caps, playing in all Wales' matches in the 1909 British Home Championship
1909 British Home Championship
The 1909 British Home Championship was an international football tournament between the British Home Nations. England dominated the competition with three wins over their opponents. When placed in the context of their overseas tours to Europe in 1908 and 1909, this made a run of ten victories for...
.
In the summer of 1909, Price returned to the English Second Division with Leeds City but found it hard to force his way into the first team. After just eight Football League appearances, he left Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
at the end of the season to return to the Birmingham League with Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
. He moved on 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...
in 1911, staying there for four years until he retired having become the club's Secretary/Manager in July 1912. During World War One, Price played for Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
as a guest, making nine appearances, scoring three goals.
Management career
In 1919, Price became Secretary/Manager of Mid RhonddaMid Rhondda F.C.
Mid Rhondda Football Club was an association football team, based in Tonypandy, Wales that was formed in 1912. Mid Rhondda were one of the earlier South Wales teams to form, as competition from rugby union within the Rhondda Valleys was very strong...
, who were based in Tonypandy
Tonypandy
Tonypandy is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Fawr Valley. A former industrial coal mining town, today Tonypandy is best known as the site of the Tonypandy Riots....
. Whilst in his first spell as Mid Rhondda's manager, Price helped rescue the career of Jimmy Seed
Jimmy Seed
James Marshall "Jimmy" Seed was an English footballer and football manager.Despite being born in Blackhill, Seed was brought up in the village of Whitburn on the coast just to the north of Sunderland...
which had stalled during the war; Seed went on to have a long career with Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
as well as making five appearances for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. Other players on Mid Rhondda's books at this time were former England international, Joe Bache and future Wales international, Dai Collier. The club had a successful time in the seven months that Price was manager, winning both the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
Division Two and the Welsh League
Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
titles.
In July 1920, Price became manager at Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
; he succeeded H.N. Hickson but unlike his predecessor, he was given responsibility for signing new players and for team selection. He quickly returned to his former club, signing five players including Collier and Bache, as well as Jimmy Carmichael, Albert Irvine and Harry Moody. His spell as manager at Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
was short-lived ending in acrimony in November 1920 when he resigned publicly in a letter to the Grimsby Evening Telegraph
Grimsby Telegraph
The Grimsby Telegraph is a daily British regional newspaper for the town of Grimsby and the surrounding area that makes up North East Lincolnshire. It is owned by Northcliffe Newspapers. The main area for the paper's distribution is in or around Grimsby and Cleethorpes...
citing interference by the board in his team selections.
Price returned to Mid Rhondda in 1921 where he was hit by more controversy when the club failed to pay its players and other debts and was suspended by the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
.
Price died in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in March 1964 in his early 80s.