Jeff Wealands
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Andrew "Jeff" Wealands (born 26 August 1951) was an English
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.
, County Durham
. As a boy he played for Star Juniors,
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
.
In July 1979 Wealands joined Birmingham City
, then in the Second Division, for a fee of £30,000. 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. 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
).
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 – non-league
club to beat a First Division team on their own ground when they won 2–1,
a result which gave the player considerable personal satisfaction,
and which was followed two days later by Saunders' resignation.
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.
After finally retiring from playing, he served briefly on the board of Altrincham, and has coached goalkeepers at Bury
. In his early days with Altrincham he worked in insurance, and now runs a property development company.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He made nearly 400 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, and over 200 more in the Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
. He played in the Altrincham
Altrincham F.C.
Altrincham Football Club is an English association football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Conference North, having been relegated from the Conference National at the end of the 2010–11 season.-History:...
team which knocked his former club, First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, out of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1986, only the second time a non-league
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
club has eliminated a top-flight club on their own ground.
Biography
Wealands was born in DarlingtonDarlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. As a boy he played for Star Juniors,
moving on to Darlington Cleveland Bridge. At 17 he signed professional forms for Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, but was unable to break through to the first team, and in 1970 moved back home to join Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
in the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
. After 18 months he was transferred to Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
side Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. 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
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
.
In July 1979 Wealands joined Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, then in the Second Division, for a fee of £30,000. His first season at Birmingham saw them promoted to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. 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
Tony Coton
Anthony Philip "Tony" Coton is an English former footballer who made 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League playing as a goalkeeper for Birmingham City, Watford, Manchester City and Sunderland...
, and played over 100 games before a difference of views with new manager Ron Saunders
Ron Saunders
Ron Saunders is a retired English football player and former successful manager. He remains the only manager to have taken charge of Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, normally bitter rivals....
saw him out of contention. He joined Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
as cover for Gary Bailey
Gary Bailey
Gary Richard Bailey is a former footballer who made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a goalkeeper for Manchester United. He was capped twice for England....
, initially on loan, in 1983, but a recurring back injury restricted his chances. Periods on loan at Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
and Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
preceded him leaving the Football League altogether to join Altrincham
Altrincham F.C.
Altrincham Football Club is an English association football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Conference North, having been relegated from the Conference National at the end of the 2010–11 season.-History:...
in the Alliance Premier League (soon to be renamed the Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
).
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
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
. In that season's FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, 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 – non-league
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
club to beat a First Division team on their own ground when they won 2–1,
a result which gave the player considerable personal satisfaction,
and which was followed two days later by Saunders' resignation.
The next season he helped the club to the final of the Cheshire Senior Cup
Cheshire County Football Association
The Cheshire County Football Association, also simply known as the Cheshire FA, is the governing body of football in the county of Cheshire, England...
. He then had a spell at Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
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.
After finally retiring from playing, he served briefly on the board of Altrincham, and has coached goalkeepers at Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
. In his early days with Altrincham he worked in insurance, and now runs a property development company.
Honours
- with Birmingham
- Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
promotion 1980. - Club player of the year 1980.
- Football League Second Division
- with Altrincham
- FA TrophyFA TrophyThe Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
winners 1986. - Cheshire Senior CupCheshire County Football AssociationThe Cheshire County Football Association, also simply known as the Cheshire FA, is the governing body of football in the county of Cheshire, England...
runners up 1987.
- FA Trophy