Alfred Gittens

Alfred Gittens

Alfred (Alf) George GITTINS

Born in Manchester in 1885, Alf was spotted early as an ‘artistic dribbler who was an expert in sending the ball low into the net’ but the promise failed to convert into regular first team chances at Bolton or Blackpool so he dropped down to Atherton Church House where the scouts began to flock back again.

The Town won the race for his signature and he came to Kenilworth Road in the summer of 1906 where, after a slow start, he had made the inside-right position his own so it came as a disappointment when he and Billy Barnes rejected a new contract and went to QPR who were offering more money.

At Rangers he enjoyed the best time of his career and won a Southern League championship medal as well as Southern League representative caps but a subsequent move to Aston Villa did not work out.

Alf continued to play until the outbreak of the Great War and passed away in 1960.