ALTRINCHAM FC PRE-WAR PLAYERS Part 3
Altrincham's Pre-War Players
This is a supplement to Terry Rowley's Altrincham's Pre-War Players who Progressed to the League. It includes notes on other pre-War players, mostly relying on information from Terry's excellent records.Geoffrey “Mickey” Warburton
Geoffrey “Mickey” Warburton was born on 21st July 1918 and died in February, 2007. He played for Altrincham from 1937/38 season to 1939 and again after the War, from 1946 till the mid-1950s. He also played for West Brom and Manchester City as an amateur before finishing his career at Mossley, Droylsden and Ashton United. Captaining the British Army football team, he brought their kit home after the War and donated it to Altrincham who wore it for a few seasons. After retiring in his mid-40s he then became a scout under Freddie Pye and signed players such as Johnny Worth and Fred Taberner. Then, under the leadership of John King, he became the club physio.
He attained the army rank of Captain after training at Sandhurst and worked for 40 years for Altrincham Corporation in the Treasurer's Department. Terry Rowley's statistics reveal that Mickey made his first team debut at home to Ashton National in a 3-0 defeat. In total he played 7 games in season 1937/38, scoring 1 goal in the 1-1 home draw with Wigan. The following season, 1938/39, he played 30 League games and 2 CSC games scoring 8 league goals and 1 CSC.
He didn't play in the abridged 1939/40 season but appeared sporadically ( 2 games and 4 goals, including a hat trick) in the War-time 1939/40 competition but as Lance-Bombadier Warburton, as he then was, he was stationed in the North so only available when on leave. In 1946/47 he played 15 League and 1 League cup game scoring 3 goals. In 1947/48 he played 5 league 1 FA Cup and 2 LC games and in 1948/49, 3 League and 2 LC games. Then in 1949/50 he played 21 League games, scoring 6 goals and, finally, in 1950/51 he played 7 games and netted 1 goal. He was also playing for Seamon's Moss at this time. By 1951/52 he was turning out for Mossley for whom he played 18 games and scored 4 goals.