Jeff Wealands

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Jeff Wealands
Personal information
Full name Jeffrey Andrew Wealands
Date of birth August 26, 1951 (1951-08-26) (age 56)
Place of birth    Darlington, England
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth clubs


1968		 Star Juniors
Darlington Cleveland Bridge
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1968–1970
1970
1970–1972
1972–1979
1979–1983
1983
1983–1985
1984
1984–1985
1985–1987
1987–1988
1988–1992		 Wolverhampton Wanderers
→ Northampton Town (loan)
Darlington
Hull City
Birmingham City
→ Manchester United (loan)
Manchester United
→ Oldham Athletic (loan)
→ Preston North End (loan)
Altrincham
Barrow
Altrincham		 000 0(0)
000 0(0)
028 0(0)
240 0(0)
102 0(0)
005 0(0)
002 0(0)
010 0(0)
004 0(0)
075 0(0)
0?? 0(?)
127 0(0)   

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Jeffrey Andrew "Jeff" Wealands (born 26 August 1951) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He made nearly 400 appearances in the Football League, and over 200 more in the Conference. He played in the Altrincham team which knocked his former club, First Division Birmingham City, out of the FA Cup in 1986, only the second time a non-league club has eliminated a top-flight club on their own ground.

[edit] Biography

Wealands was born in Darlington, County Durham. As a boy he played for Star Juniors,[1] moving on to Darlington Cleveland Bridge. At 17 he signed professional forms for Wolverhampton Wanderers, but was unable to break through to the first team, and in 1970 moved back home to join Darlington in the Fourth Division. After 18 months he was transferred to Second Division side Hull City. He established himself as first choice goalkeeper a year later, and starting from the 1973–74 season missed only three games in four years. Injury restricted his appearances in the next season, when Hull were relegated to the Third Division.[2]

In July 1979 Wealands joined Birmingham City, then in the Second Division, for a fee of £30,000.[3] His first season at Birmingham saw them promoted to the First Division. He kept 16 clean sheets and was chosen Player of the Year. He kept his place as first choice goalkeeper, despite competition from promising youngster Tony Coton, and played over 100 games before a difference of views with new manager Ron Saunders saw him out of contention.[4][5] He joined Manchester United as cover for Gary Bailey, initially on loan, in 1983, but a recurring back injury restricted his chances. Periods on loan at Oldham Athletic and Preston North End preceded him leaving the Football League altogether to join Altrincham in the Alliance Premier League (soon to be renamed the Football Conference).[2]

Wealands' first season at Altrincham brought considerable success, culminating in a trip to Wembley where the club beat Runcorn 1–0 to win the 1986 FA Trophy. In that season's FA Cup, Altrincham got through to the Third Round, where they were drawn away to Birmingham City, still in the top flight and still managed by Saunders. Wealands helped his new club become only the second – and, to date, last[6] – non-league club to beat a First Division team on their own ground when they won 2–1,[4] a result which gave the player considerable personal satisfaction,[7] and which was followed two days later by Saunders' resignation.[8] The next season he helped the club to the final of the Cheshire Senior Cup. He then had a spell at Barrow before returning to Altrincham in 1988. His last of 273 games in all competitions for the club was in 1992 by which time he was 41 years old.[9]

After finally retiring from playing, he served briefly on the board of Altrincham, and has coached goalkeepers at Bury.[9] In his early days with Altrincham he worked in insurance,[7] and now runs a property development company.[9]

[edit] Honours

[edit] References

  1. ^ Amos, Mike. "Crook glory days rekindled", Northern Echo, 2006-01-24. Retrieved on 2007-10-11. 
  2. ^ a b Ob790 (2007-05-05). A Brummie and a White. Preston North End Mad. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
  3. ^ Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books, p. 132. ISBN 1-85983-010-2. 
  4. ^ a b Mitten, Andy. Action replay - Altrincham FC. FourFourTwo. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
  5. ^ Matthews, pp. 132-33, 215-17.
  6. ^ Altrincham FC Archived News 1 to 31 January 2006. Altrincham F.C.. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
  7. ^ a b Shaw, Dennis. "Altrincham rally to become the non-League team of the decade" (via Newsbank), The Times, 1986-01-15. Retrieved on 2007-10-11. " 'The victory tasted very sweet for me', Wealands said. 'The problems I had with the manager here are well known.' " 
  8. ^ Matthews, p. 44.
  9. ^ a b c Rowley, Terry. Altrincham Football Club Legends Section Four Profiles 10 to 12 Andy Green, Jeff Johnson, Jeff Wealands. Robins' Review (Altrincham F.C. match programme). Altrincham F.C.. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
Persondata
NAME Wealands, Jeffrey Andrew
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wealands, Jeff
SHORT DESCRIPTION Professional footballer
DATE OF BIRTH 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH Darlington, County Durham, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH