Percy Prince
Encyclopedia
Percy Prince was an English amateur
footballer who played as a centre-forward for Southampton
and Boscombe in the early 20th century.
but was raised in Southampton
and played his club football on Southampton Common
, while woking in the Merchant Navy.
He was signed by Southern League
Southampton
as an amateur in 1907 and made his first team debut away to New Brompton on 17 October 1908. In the next match, against Millwall
he scored in a 4–1 victory at The Dell, but made only one further appearance that season, followed by two further appearances at the end of the 1909–10 season, scoring in both matches. He was the first-choice centre-forward at the start of the next season, scoring in a 3–0 victory over Portsmouth
on 10 September 1910, before losing his place to Sid Kimpton
.
Described as a "sharp-shooting centre-forward, keen and enthusiastic " but with a genial nature, "there was none more zealous in the interests of the team". He was known as "Peewee" to his team-mates.
He finally became established in the side, playing at inside left in December 1911, taking over from Andrew Gibson
, but after a run of nine games in which he scored twice, Prince lost his place back to Gibson. In March 1912 Gibson was suspended (along with Henry Hamilton
) for a "serious breach of club discipline", as a result of which both players were placed on the transfer list. This led to Prince's restoration to the team which he marked by scoring four goals in three matches.
In the 1912–13 season, Prince only missed eight matches scoring eleven league goals, making him the club's top scorer for the season. In the following season, he continued to be a regular starter but was pushed out onto the wing in more of a supporting role to Len Andrews
and Arthur Dominy
, and his scoring ability faded before he lost his place in January 1914 to Bill Smith
, who in turn was replaced by Arthur Hollins
.
In the summer of 1914, Prince was released by Southampton and joined Boscombe in the Hampshire League
. The outbreak of World War I
interrupted his career but he turned out occasionally for Boscombe during the wartime period until returning to Southampton
in 1917, where he played for his former club in the wartime leagues.
At the cessation of hostilities, Prince re-joined Southampton
in August 1919 and made four further appearances in their final season before joining the Football League. Prince was now playing at half back
and his final appearance was in a 2–6 defeat at The Dell by Northampton Town
on 25 October 1919. Although he was not to make further appearances in the first team, Prince continued to play for the reserves, gaining Hampshire League and Senior Cup medals, as well as gaining representative honours with Hampshire.
He returned to Boscombe in November 1920, before retiring the following summer.
for 32 years and in 1930 he moved to New York
as Assistant Catering Officer, servicing the trans-Atlantic ocean liner
s from Southampton, including RMS Aquitania
and RMS Queen Mary
.
Prince retired in 1952, and continued to live in New Jersey
where he died in December 1973.
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
footballer who played as a centre-forward for Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and Boscombe in the early 20th century.
Football career
Prince was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
but was raised in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and played his club football on Southampton Common
Southampton Common
Southampton Common is a large open space to the north of the city centre of Southampton, England. It is bounded by the districts of Shirley, Bassett, Highfield and Portswood. The area supports a large variety of wildlife, including the largest recorded population of the internationally rare great...
, while woking in the Merchant Navy.
He was signed by Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
as an amateur in 1907 and made his first team debut away to New Brompton on 17 October 1908. In the next match, against Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
he scored in a 4–1 victory at The Dell, but made only one further appearance that season, followed by two further appearances at the end of the 1909–10 season, scoring in both matches. He was the first-choice centre-forward at the start of the next season, scoring in a 3–0 victory over Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
on 10 September 1910, before losing his place to Sid Kimpton
Sid Kimpton
Gabriel Sibley "Sid" Kimpton, also known as George Kimpton, was an English football player, who spent his entire playing career with Southampton and subsequently became a manager in Europe....
.
Described as a "sharp-shooting centre-forward, keen and enthusiastic " but with a genial nature, "there was none more zealous in the interests of the team". He was known as "Peewee" to his team-mates.
He finally became established in the side, playing at inside left in December 1911, taking over from Andrew Gibson
Andrew Gibson (footballer)
Andrew Gibson was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward in the 1910s.-Playing career:Born in Glasgow he was playing for Strathclyde and was attracting the attention of both Celtic and Rangers when he was signed in May 1911 by Southern League Southampton...
, but after a run of nine games in which he scored twice, Prince lost his place back to Gibson. In March 1912 Gibson was suspended (along with Henry Hamilton
Henry Hamilton (footballer)
Henry Gilhespy Hamilton was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward for various clubs in the 1900s and 1910s.-Playing career:...
) for a "serious breach of club discipline", as a result of which both players were placed on the transfer list. This led to Prince's restoration to the team which he marked by scoring four goals in three matches.
In the 1912–13 season, Prince only missed eight matches scoring eleven league goals, making him the club's top scorer for the season. In the following season, he continued to be a regular starter but was pushed out onto the wing in more of a supporting role to Len Andrews
Len Andrews
Leonard Thomas Alford "Len" Andrews was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward. During his career he had two spells with both Southampton and Reading, as well as playing for Watford....
and Arthur Dominy
Arthur Dominy
Arthur Albert Dominy was an English professional footballer, who played as an inside-forward, and football manager, spending most of his career with Southampton....
, and his scoring ability faded before he lost his place in January 1914 to Bill Smith
Bill Smith (Edwardian footballer)
William "Bill" Smith was an English professional footballer who played at centre-forward for various clubs in the years immediately prior to the First World War.-Football career:...
, who in turn was replaced by Arthur Hollins
Arthur Hollins (footballer)
Arthur Hollins was an English professional footballer who played at centre-forward for Southampton between 1914 and 1915.-Football career:Hollins was born in Wolverhampton and started his professional career at Walsall, without breaking into the first-team....
.
In the summer of 1914, Prince was released by Southampton and joined Boscombe in the Hampshire League
Hampshire League
Hampshire League is a name used for two distinct football competitions based in Hampshire, England. There are two leagues; Hampshire Premier Football League named 'Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier Football League' for sponsor purposes and the division below which is the Hampshire League 2004 or...
. The outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
interrupted his career but he turned out occasionally for Boscombe during the wartime period until returning to Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
in 1917, where he played for his former club in the wartime leagues.
At the cessation of hostilities, Prince re-joined Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in August 1919 and made four further appearances in their final season before joining the Football League. Prince was now playing at half back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
and his final appearance was in a 2–6 defeat at The Dell by Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
on 25 October 1919. Although he was not to make further appearances in the first team, Prince continued to play for the reserves, gaining Hampshire League and Senior Cup medals, as well as gaining representative honours with Hampshire.
He returned to Boscombe in November 1920, before retiring the following summer.
Life outside football
Prince was employed by the Cunard LineCunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
for 32 years and in 1930 he moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as Assistant Catering Officer, servicing the trans-Atlantic ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
s from Southampton, including RMS Aquitania
RMS Aquitania
RMS Aquitania was a Cunard Line ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. She was launched on 21 April 1913 and sailed on her maiden voyage to New York on 30 May 1914...
and RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
.
Prince retired in 1952, and continued to live in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
where he died in December 1973.