Harry Beadles

Liverpool

On his return to Wales, Beadles played for his local side Newtown during the 1919–20 season, winning the Montgomeryshire & District Football League. The following year, he moved to Merseyside, where he turned out for amateur team Graysons of Garston of the West Cheshire Association Football League, an amateur side that represented a local shipping company, whilst also working for the company. Beadles often commented on his role at the company to family members, believing he was only employed due to his footballing skills as he would spend most working days making tea. In June 1921, he signed for Liverpool, one of the leading teams in the country at the time, along with teammate Danny Shone. He made his debut on 24 September 1921 in a 1–0 victory over Chelsea and scored six goals in his first eleven appearances, including a brace against West Bromwich Albion on 6 May 1922, for the side as they went on to win the Football League First Division title with Beadles being praised for a bright future at the club. However, he was never a regular in the side, making just eighteen appearances in all competitions during his three years at the club, and struggled to displace the more established players, although, following being part of back-to-back league titles, Beadles, along with each member of the squad, was given a gold watch by the club. During his time at Anfield, he played in the 1922 FA Charity Shield defeat against Huddersfield Town, however he became…

Club

International

One of seven children, George Harold Beadles was born on Commercial Street in Llanllwchaiarn, on the outskirts of Newtown, Powys, to Thomas, a quarryman who worked on building dams in the Elan Valley Reservoirs, among others, and Sarah Ann Beadles (née Pearce). As a child, he attended a local board school as his parents were keen on him receiving an education due to the economic climate in the area, but he was forced to leave at the age of twelve in order to help support his family and he instead took up employment at a local warehouse, owned by Pryce Pryce-Jones, as a furrier. His brother Albert had also previously worked at the warehouse but had been killed at the age of twelve after being hit by one of the carts used by the warehouse which was taking part in a parade. Pryce-Jones reportedly paid for the funeral.

After returning to Merseyside, Beadles spent a short time as a prison officer at Walton jail, whilst also working at a local sports equipment retailer. After leaving the jobs he joined Bents Brewery, who at the time were recruiting former professional footballers to front their business. After training as a manager in one of the company's pubs and hotels, he was handed control of The Shakespeare pub in White Chapel and later the Cattle Market Inn in Stanley. Having become an avid Liverpool supporter, still attending games well into old age, after his time at the club, Beadles became well known for his final bar calls at the pub, declaring "Time gentlemen please, and Evertonian's". He impressed the brewery's managers so much that he was put in charge of the company's main hotel, The Hillside in Huyton, Liverpool in 1939 and the pub later became popular with American officers who were stationed at nearby RAF Burtonwood during the Second World War. In the late 1940s, his health declined and he was unable to continue running such a large hotel and, after running a smaller pub, he was forced into early retirement in the 1950s. After a long illness, he died on 29 August 1958 at the age of 60 in the village of Sychdyn. He was buried in Everton Cemetery in Liverpool.