Tony Blake
Encyclopedia
Antony John "Tony" Blake (born 26 February 1927) is an English
former professional footballer who played in the Football League
for Birmingham City
and Gillingham
.
Blake was born in Cofton Hackett
, Worcestershire
. He played football for Rubery Owen
's works team as a centre forward before joining Birmingham City
in October 1948. While in Birmingham's junior teams, Blake was converted to play at full back
, and it was as a left back that he made his first-team debut on 18 February 1950, deputising for Dennis Jennings
in the First Division
match away at Bolton Wanderers
, a game which Birmingham lost 1–0. Blake played once more that season, but then returned to the reserves, and in the 1952 close season moved on to Gillingham
.
Due to injuries to other players, he made his Gillingham debut in his former position as a striker against Crystal Palace
on 3 September 1952, and marked the occasion with a goal. He made nine further appearances for the club during the 1952–53 season in his more usual defensive role, but then sustained a serious knee injury. An operation in the spring of 1953 proved unsuccessful and he was forced into retirement. He returned to the Midlands where he took a job at an engineering firm. He was still alive as of 2009.
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...
former professional footballer who played 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...
for 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...
and Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
.
Blake was born in Cofton Hackett
Cofton Hackett
Cofton Hackett is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of north east Worcestershire, England. It is situated 10.3 miles south west of the city centre of Birmingham and 24 miles north east of Worcester...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. He played football for Rubery Owen
Rubery Owen
Rubery Owen is a British engineering company which was founded in 1884 in Darlaston, West Midlands.-History:In 1884 the company was started by John Tunner Rubery and his two brothers , as an ironworks manufacturing gates and fences...
's works team as a centre forward before joining 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...
in October 1948. While in Birmingham's junior teams, Blake was converted to play at full 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 it was as a left back that he made his first-team debut on 18 February 1950, deputising for Dennis Jennings
Dennis Jennings
Dennis Bernard Jennings was an English professional footballer. He played more than 300 games in the top two divisions of the Football League over a 21-year career which was interrupted by the Second World War...
in 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....
match away at Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, a game which Birmingham lost 1–0. Blake played once more that season, but then returned to the reserves, and in the 1952 close season moved on to Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
.
Due to injuries to other players, he made his Gillingham debut in his former position as a striker against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
on 3 September 1952, and marked the occasion with a goal. He made nine further appearances for the club during the 1952–53 season in his more usual defensive role, but then sustained a serious knee injury. An operation in the spring of 1953 proved unsuccessful and he was forced into retirement. He returned to the Midlands where he took a job at an engineering firm. He was still alive as of 2009.