Born in Poplar, East London in 1910, Bert started playing football at school in Hackney and after leaving education at 14, which was the norm in those days, turned out for Eton Manor in the Federation of Working Clubs League as a centre-half.

Spotted by Tottenham, Bert was offered a job with the ground staff at White Hart Lane and played for the ‘A’ (youth) team before enjoying a full season with Northfleet, the Spurs nursery club.

Hoping to be signed as a professional at 17 he was not offered terms as Tottenham had too many centre-halves, Bert’s favoured position, at the time. Bert now needed to find a job and became a collector for a Gas, Light and Coke company while playing as an amateur for Tufnell Park where he was converted to inside-forward.

One of the Tufnell Park players was given the chance to play in France and after he had been there a month wrote to Bert to ask if he would like to join him.

Age 21 and single, Bert looked on it as an adventure and was due to meet an English speaker at Lille railway station who did not show. Bert, not knowing a word of French, managed to get himself out of a hole by showing the address of the president of Lille Olympique to a taxi driver and he eventually found his way to the ground.

After a successful trial, Bert played regularly for Lille Olympique, in this the first season of professional football in France (1932-33). Lille won the championship of the League of France in his first season and Bert received the honour of being picked to play for the North of France in matches against Portugal, Diables Rouges and the South of France. Against Diables Rouges the match was played under ‘artificial light’ which was disconcerting to Bert as’ the ball is on top of you before you know it is anywhere near you.’ Floodlighting has come a long way.

Whilst with Lille, Bert also played matches in Germany and Belgium and after a game in Cologne a reception was given by the Nazi party where they were given a great welcome and everyone was extremely friendly! The local Burgomaster made a welcome speech in German, which the French team could not understand, while the Lille chairman gave his speech in French which bemused the Germans. Bert could understand neither.

For winning the title, the Lille team were given the prize of a six week end of season tour of North Africa. Two of the weeks were spent travelling while 16 games had to be crammed into the other four where Bert was ever present.

‘Footballed - out’, Bert decided to return to England where he had been promised a trial with Crystal Palace. Before this could happen, top-flight Wolves stepped in and signed him on the spot.

Bert had to get himself up to speed as the training in England was far more vigorous and structured than in France and it was some time before he broke through into the first team. After two games, Bert lost his place to pre-war ‘wonderkid’ Bryn Jones and so when Aldershot stepped in to offer first team football, Wolves agreed to a loan in February 1935.

Bert was ever present over the remainder of that season and joint top-scored for the Shots in 1935-36 where he came to the attention of the Town, against whom he had enjoyed two storming games against his ex-Wolves colleague Jack Nelson.

In the summer of 1936, Wolves were pressing Aldershot to pay a fee and at the eleventh hour Bert became only the third player in the Shot’s history for whom money had been paid. Two weeks later he was off to Luton for no doubt a profit.

Starting on the opening game of the 1936-37 promotion winning season at inside-forward he suffered a foot injury which kept him out for a few weeks and by the time he was fit again he could not force his way back into a winning side.

Turning out for the reserves, Bert became known as a ‘utility’ man and by Christmas had played in eight positions with the extreme wings and goalkeeper the only ones he did not sample.