Albert Sturgess was born on 21 October 1882 in Basford Hollow, Etruria, Staffordshire.[2] The eldest of five children to Thomas and Martha Jane, his father was a potter's printer.[2] He worked in the pottery industry and joined the North Staffordshire Regiment in April 1891.[2] He married Amelia Harrison in 1902 and went on to have three children: Albert, Cyril Richmond and Amelia Lily.[2] After retiring from football, he worked as a steel roller and later opened a china shop in Ecclesall Road, Sheffield.[4][2] He died on 16 July 1957, aged 74.[2]
Club career
Sturgess started his career with amateur side Tunstall Cresswells before joining Stoke in 1902. He broke into the first team in 1905–06 thanks to the departure of James Bradley to Liverpool.[1] Stoke, who had survived several relegation battles in the early 1900s, were relegated in 1906–07[1] and financial difficulties led to the club falling out of the Football League in 1907–08. To raise funds, Sturgess was sold to Sheffield United in 1908.[1]
Arriving at Sheffield United alongside George Gallimore, for the maximum transfer fee at the time of £350, Sturgess played primarily at wing-half or half-back, forging a formidable partnership with George Utley and Bill Brelsford. He made his début for the Blades in a Division One match at Bury on 1 September 1908, replacing Ernest Needham at left-half.
Part of the victorious Sheffield United FA Cup winning team of 1915, when United beat Chelsea 3–1 at Old Trafford, on 24 April 1915, he went on to make 353 league appearances for the Blades, scoring five goals, between 1908 and 1922.
After the First World War, he played mainly as a full-back but was utilised in most positions in the team.
In 1923, he joined Norwich City where he made 47 appearances, helping them to what was then their best-ever league finish, 11th in Division Three South. He retired from football in 1925, aged 42.
Playing style
Sturgess, although not as naturally gifted as some of his contemporaries, was noted for his determination and willingness to graft; he was a tall, wiry defender, nicknamedhairpin because of his build. He was renowned for his skill in tackling and long, accurate kicking, and was almost ever-present in the Sheffield United team until his late thirties.
