Alfred Strange

Strange played for the Marehay Colliery team, where he was spotted by scouts from Portsmouth, for whom he signed as a professional on 2 October 1922. He started his career with Portsmouth as a centre-forward, and in his two seasons there, he scored 16 goals from 24 league appearances, helping them to win the Third Division South title in 1923–24. Frustrated at the lack of regular first-team opportunities at Fratton Park, Strange moved to Second Division club Port Vale for a £500 fee on 29 October 1924. His excellent ball control and powerful shots impressed the fans at the Old Recreation Ground, as the club enjoyed some of its most successful years with three successive eighth-place finishes. At Port Vale he was a regular selection at inside forward, scoring seven goals in 33 league and FA Cup games in 1924–25. He claimed 17 goals in 42 games in 1925–26, including a hat-trick in a 4–2 win over Clapton Orient on 2 January and four goals in a 5–0 victory over Blackpool on 6 February. He scored five goals in 28 appearances in the first half of the 1926–27 season. On 18 February 1927, he was transferred to Sheffield Wednesday, with Harry Anstiss and "a substantial financial consideration" moving in the opposite direction. He claimed five goals in just 13 First Division games in the latter half of the 1926–27 campaign. He was limited to only 17 appearances in the 1927–28 season. After he was switched to right half "his career blossomed". He was an "ever present" when Wednesday…

Strange was selected to represent the Football League three times before receiving his first England cap for the match against Scotland on 5 April 1930. He played at right half as England won 5–2, with Vic Watson and Strange's Wednesday teammate Ellis Rimmer each scoring twice. Two other Sheffield Wednesday players, Ernie Blenkinsop and Billy Marsden, also played in this match. In May 1930, he accompanied England on a European tour where he played against Germany and Austria, both matches being drawn. He continued to be selected for England over the next few years, being appointed captain for a 5–2 loss to France on 14 May 1931 and a 3–1 win over Wales on 18 November 1931. His final England appearance came at White Hart Lane on 6 December 1933, when he was able to gain "revenge" for the defeat by France two years earlier, with England winning 4–1 (George Camsell scoring twice).

Alfred Henry Strange was born on 2 April 1900 in Marehey, Ripley, Derbyshire. He was the fourth of nine children to Alfred Henry and Mary (née Fox); his father was a hewer in the local coal mine. He attended Street Lane School and went on to follow his father into the mines. He married Elsie Cuttell in 1923 and had three children: Margaret Elsie (born 1927), Donald Henry (born 1931) and Dorothy Patricia (born 1938). After retiring from football, he settled in Ripley and worked as a poultry farmer. In 1979 a room at the Ripley Leisure Centre was named the "Alf Strange Room" in his honour.

Portsmouth

Football League Third Division South: 1923–24 Sheffield Wednesday

Football League First Division: 1928–29 & 1929–30 FA Charity Shield runner-up: 1930 England

British Home Championship: 1929–30, 1930–31 (shared), 1931–32