Ted Harston Explained

Ted Harston
Fullname:Edwin Harston
Height:5 ft 9 in[1]
Birth Date:27 February 1907
Birth Place:Monk Bretton, England
Death Place:Rochester, England
Position:Centre-forward
Years1:1928–1930
Years2:1930–1931
Years3:1931–1934
Years4:1934–1935
Years5:1935–1937
Years6:1937–1939
Clubs6:Liverpool
Caps1:0
Caps2:12
Caps3:18
Caps4:28
Caps5:70
Caps6:5
Goals1:0
Goals2:4
Goals3:11
Goals4:17
Goals5:81
Goals6:3
Totalcaps:133
Totalgoals:116

Edwin Harston (27 February 1907 – 1971) was an English footballer who played in The Football League for six different clubs and notably scored 55 league goals in a single season for Mansfield Town.

A native of Monk Bretton near Barnsley, Harston began his professional career at Sheffield Wednesday, whom he joined in 1928 from amateur team Cudworth Village. He remained a reserve at Wednesday, and he joined Barnsley in May 1930. He then spent three years at Reading, where he despite an excellent goalscoring record only played sporadically.[2]

In 1934, he joined Bristol City where he spent just over one season, before Mansfield Town paid £250 for his services in October 1935.[2] He made his debut for the Stags against Southport on 19 October 1935, and scored a hat-trick on his debut. In his first season with Mansfield, he scored 26 goals in 29 league games and also scored once in the FA Cup, easily topping the club's goalscoring chart.

The following season, he was even more prolific, scoring 55 goals in 41 league games and finished top scorer in Division Three North,[3] also scoring three goals in two FA Cup games. In all, he scored three or more goals eight times during the 1936–37 season, including an astonishing seven goals in Mansfield's 8–2 win against Hartlepools United on 23 January 1937.[4] [5]

In the summer of 1937, Harston moved to Liverpool for a £3,000 transfer fee.[4] He scored three goals in five games for the Reds, but then suffered a broken leg which effectively ended his career.

He died in 1971, in Rochester, Kent.[4]

Notes and References

  1. News: Mansfield Town. Outlook much more hopeful . Sunday Dispatch Football Guide . London . 23 August 1936 . xvi . Newspapers.com.
  2. Book: Retter, Jack. Who's Who – The Stags 1902–1995. Yore Publications. 1995. 1-874427-31-3.
  3. Book: Butler, Bryon. 100 Seasons of League Football. 1998. Queen Anne Press. England. 1852915951. 392.
  4. Book: Bracegirdle, Dave . Hartshorn, Steve . amp . The Legends of Mansfield Town. Breedon Books. 2004. 1-85983-435-3.
  5. Web site: Mansfield Town 8, Hartlepools United 2. Stagsnet. 8 September 2009.