John Astley (3 December 1909 – 8 November 1984) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Southport, Brentford and Coventry City as a right back.
Club career
Early years A right back, Astley began his career in his native north west, playing for a number of amateur clubs before joining Third Division North club Southport in 1930. He made just two appearances for the club before joining League of Ireland club Shelbourne on loan for the 1932–33 season. He left Southport at the end of the 1932–33 season.
Brentford Astley transferred to Second Division club Brentford in May 1933. He went straight into the team and made 41 appearances during the 1933–34 season, in which the Bees finished fourth in the Second Division. The arrival of full backs Arthur Bateman and George Poyser during the 1934 off-season and an injury saw Astley lose his place in the team and he made just one appearance during the 1934–35 season, in which Brentford secured promotion to the First Division as champions. He instead played for the reserves and won the 1935 London Challenge Cup with the team. Astley managed to make eight appearances in the First Division during the first half of the 1935–36 season, before departing Griffin Park in February 1936. Astley made 50 appearances for Brentford.
Coventry City Astley joined Third Division South high-flyers Coventry City in February 1936. He made 14 appearances in what remained of the 1935–36 season and helped the Sky Blues to the Third Division South title. Astley displaced Vic Brown from the team and with former Brentford teammate Walter Metcalf on the other flank at full back, he was an ever-present until professional football was suspended in 1939 upon to the outbreak of the Second World War. He made 148 appearances for the Sky Blues and guested for Nottingham Forest during the war.
Representative career While with Shelbourne, Astley played for the League of Ireland representative team against their Welsh League counterparts.
Personal life Astley served in the British Army during and after the Second World War and rose to the rank of captain. He married his wife, an Estonian, during -years stationed in Germany. Astley settled in Coventry in 1950 and began working for the General Electric Company, retiring in 1974. He died of a heart attack in Whitley Hospital in November 1984.
Career statistics + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsSouthport1931–32Third Division North200020Brentford1933–34Second Division400104101934–35Second Division1000101935–36First Division80—80Total49010500Coventry City1935–36Third Division South140301701936–37Second Division420304501937–38Second Division420104301938–39Second Division42010430Total1400801480Career total1910902000
Honours Brentford Reserves London Challenge Cup: 1934–35 Coventry City Football League Third Division South: 1935–36
References