Harry Sellars

Harry Sellars

Personal information
Full name	Harold Sellars[1]
Date of birth	9 April 1902[1]
Place of birth	Beamish, Durham, England[1]
Date of death	30 December 1978 (aged 76)[1]
Place of death	Stoke-on-Trent, England[1]
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position	Half-back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1919–1921	Darlington	0	(0)
1922	Leadgate Park
1923–1935	Stoke City	370	(18)
1937–1938	Congleton Town	36	(0)
1938	Port Vale	0	(0)
Total		406+	(18+)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Harold "Harry" Sellars (9 April 1902 – 30 December 1978) was an English footballer, who played in the Football League for Stoke City.^[1] He made 395 appearances for Stoke in all competitions, and helped the club to win the Third Division North title in 1926–27 and the Second Division title in 1932–33. His son John also played for Stoke in the 1950s.^[1][2] Together, father and son played 808 league and cup games for the club.

Playing career

Sellars was born in Beamish, Durham and joined his local club Darlington as an amateur in 1919.^[2] The "Quakers" found him a job cleaning train carriage windows an improvement on his previous employment as a miner. Sellars turned down a trial at Manchester United in favour of turning professional with ambitious Northern League club Leadgate Park who offered him £2 a week.^[2] He was recommended to several Football League clubs by various scouts and Stoke City manager Tom Mather signed him on 15 December 1923. He began his Stoke career at inside-left and scored on his debut against Clapton Orient on 26 January 1924.^[2] He was in and out of the side in the next three seasons before Sellars converted to half-back in 1925–26 as Stoke were relegated to the Third Division North. A strong half-back line with Sellars, Cecil Eastwood and Tom Williamson helped Stoke win the title and return to the Second Division.^[2]

He became a steady and consistent performer for Stoke and helped them win promotion to the First Division in 1932–33.^[2] He remained in the side until he injured his knee in September 1935, which allowed Frank Soo to take his place. In total Sellars made 395 appearances, scoring 19 goals, for Stoke in a 13-year career at the Victoria Ground.^[2] He then helped Congleton Town to win the Cheshire Senior Cup and had a short spell at Port Vale (without playing a first team game). During World War II he worked at the PMT bus in depot in Hanley and once the war was over he returned to Stoke to become Bob McGrory's assistant manager and first-team coach. In his role he helped to train his son John.^[2]

Career statistics

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Stoke City	1923–24	Second Division	8	4	0	0	8	4
	1924–25		8	1	1	0	9	1
	1925–26		13	2	0	0	13	2
	1926–27	Third Division North	30	0	3	0	33	0
	1927–28	Second Division	33	3	4	0	37	3
	1928–29		40	0	1	0	41	0
	1929–30		40	3	1	0	41	3
	1930–31		33	1	3	0	36	1
	1931–32		42	1	5	1	47	2
	1932–33		39	2	2	0	41	2
	1933–34	First Division	38	1	4	0	42	1
	1934–35		40	0	1	0	41	0
	1935–36		6	0	0	0	6	0
Career Total			370	18	25	1	395	19

Honours

Stoke City

• Football League Third Division North champions: 1926–27
• Football League Second Division champions: 1932–33

References

1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
2. Stoke City 101 Golden Greats. Desert Islands Books. 2002. ISBN 1-874287554.