Dai Astley

David John Astley (11 October 1909 – 7 November 1989) was a Welsh international footballer who played as an inside forward in The Football League in the 1920s and 1930s.[2]

Dai Astley
Personal information
Full name David John Astley
Date of birth (1909-10-11)11 October 1909
Place of birth Dowlais, Wales
Date of death 7 November 1989(1989-11-07) (aged 80)
Place of death Birchington-on-Sea, England[1]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1927–1928 Merthyr Town 5 (3)
1928–1931 Charlton Athletic 96 (27)
1931–1936 Aston Villa 165 (92)
1936–1938 Derby County 93 (45)
1938–1940 Blackpool 20 (6)
1946–1947 FC Metz 10 (2)
National team
1931–1938 Wales 13 (12)
Teams managed
1948 Internazionale
1949–1950 Genoa C.F.C.
1950–1954 Djurgårdens IF
1955–1957 Sandvikens IF
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Dowlais-born Astley played for Merthyr Town, Charlton, Aston Villa, Derby County, Blackpool and Metz. He scored 92 goals for Aston Villa in 165 matches.

Astley made his league debut on 19 November 1927 against Bournemouth. When Albert Lindon was appointed player-manager at Charlton Athletic in January 1928, he signed Astley for £100.[3] Astley made his debut for Blackpool, then under the managership of Joe Smith, two-thirds of the way through the 1938–39 campaign, in a 1–1 draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road on 25 January 1939. He went on to make a further sixteen League appearances before the season's end, scoring six goals. In 1939–40, he appeared in the three League games that occurred prior to the competition being abandoned as a result of the outbreak of World War II.[4]

After the war, he joined FC Metz, where he spent a year.[5]

International career

He was capped 13 times for the Wales national football team, scoring on 12 occasions. He scored two goals in Wales' final match of the 1933 British Home Championship, a 4–1 victory over Ireland which gave Wales the title.[6]

Management

Astley managed Djurgårdens IF and Sandvikens IF[7] in Sweden from 1950 to 1954 and from 1955 to 1957, as well as Inter Milan during 1948 and Genoa C.F.C. 1949.

References
  1. Kaufman, Neilson. "VE Day WW2 players as at May 2020" (PDF). pp. 5–6. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  2. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Soccerdata. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
  3. Sweet, Philip (2007). Merthyr Town A.F.C. 1908–1934 A history. T.T.C Books. ISBN 0-9539376-3-1.
  4. Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
  5. playerhistory.com
  6. "1930's Month: When Wales Ruled Britannia". The Equaliser. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  7. http://www4.idrottonline.se/templates/Page.aspx?id=128827
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