| Bert Menlove | |
| Fullname: | Bertie Menlove |
| Birth Date: | 8 December 1892 |
| Birth Place: | St Albans, England |
| Death Place: | Bridge, Kent, England |
| Position: | Centre forward |
| Years1: | ?–1919 |
| Clubs1: | Barnet & Alston |
| Years2: | 1920 |
| Clubs2: | Aston Villa |
| Caps2: | 0 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 1920–1922 |
| Clubs3: | Crystal Palace |
| Caps3: | 65 |
| Goals3: | 18 |
| Years4: | 1922–1926 |
| Clubs4: | Sheffield United |
| Caps4: | 74 |
| Goals4: | 41 |
| Years5: | 1926–1928 |
| Clubs5: | Boston Town |
| Years6: | 1928 |
| Clubs6: | Aldershot Town |
| Years7: | 1928–1929 |
| Clubs7: | Worksop Town |
| Years8: | 1929 |
| Clubs8: | Bangor Athletic |
| Years9: | 1929–1930 |
| Clubs9: | Clapton Orient |
| Years10: | 1930 |
| Clubs10: | Coleraine |
| Years11: | 1931–1934 |
| Clubs11: | Ashford Town |
| Manageryears1: | 1932–1934 |
| Managerclubs1: | Ashford Town (player-manager) |
Bertie Menlove (8 December 1892 – 3 July 1970)[1] was an English footballer who played as a forward in the Football League for Crystal Palace and Sheffield United.[2]
Born in St Albans, Menlove transferred in 1920 from Barnet & Alston to Aston Villa.[3] He didn't make any league appearances for Villa and moved on to Crystal Palace,[4] then of the Southern League. He scored his only hat–trick for Palace in a Southern League march versus Gillingham in March 1920.[5] The following season Palace joined the newly constituted Third Division and with Menlove scoring five goals[6] that season they topped the league and secured promotion to the Second division. Notable that season was an FA Cup win over then First Division Manchester City,[7] a game in which Menlove scored. The following season Palace achieved a 6-0 FA cup win at first division Everton[8] (this remains Everton's largest home cup defeat) with Menlove netting a couple. His tally of seven goals in the 1921–22 season[9] for now second division Palace encouraged First Division Sheffield United to sign him in the spring of 1922.[10]
During his spell (1922–1926) at Sheffield United in 81 appearances Menlove scored 43 goals (41 in the league) including two hat–tricks: against Tottenham in March 1924 and Birmingham in October 1925.[11] Despite his goal scoring record Menlove did not play in Sheffield United's 1925 FA Cup Final winning team.
After leaving Sheffield United in 1926 Menlove joined Midland League Boston Town[12] for a two season stay.[13] In his first season there Boston Town were league runners-up.
Over the next few seasons he signed for a succession of clubs: at the start of the 1928-1929 season he joined Southern League Eastern Division Aldershot Town;[14] by December 1928 he had moved to Midland League Worksop Town;[15] a few weeks later, in early 1929, Menlove was at Bangor[16] in North Wales with Bangor Athletic[17] playing in the Wales National League (North). Menlove married whilst in the city;[18] for the 1929–1930 season Menlove returned to London and signed-on with Football League Division 3 South Clapton Orient[19] but featured mostly in their Southern League based reserve side; in December 1930 he crossed the Irish Sea to play with Irish League Coleraine[20]
Then there came a period of stability for three seasons playing with Kent League Ashford Town from 1931 to 1932[21] to 1933–1934.[22] In that first season the club were league runners-up and they scored an Ashford Town season record 115 league goals. He was appointed as Ashford's player-manager in April 1932[23]
Menlove died in July 1970.[1]