Sproston: Bert

1933-1938 (Player Details)

Right Back

Born: Elsworth Nr Sandbach: 22-06-1914

Debut v Chelsea (a): 23-12-1934

5’7 1/2” 11st 10lb (1938)

Elegant Right-back Sproston emerged from Non-League football to become one of England’s most cultured defenders of the 1930s. He was rejected by Huddersfield Town after trials and went to Sandbach Ramblers, where he ousted his brother from the first team. Leeds signed him as a seventeen-year-old from Sandbach in May 1933. Seven months later he made his League debut and established himself in the United team the following season. He won his first England cap in 1936 and had eight England appearances to his name when hard-up Leeds sold him to Tottenham Hotspur for a near record £9,500 in June 1938. Sproston did not settle in London and in November 1938, only six months and nine games after arriving in the capital, he moved to Manchester City in another £9,500 deal, but this one was a little more unusual. He travelled to Manchester with his Spurs’ teammates on a Friday, the deal was completed that night and he turned out against his old team the following day. During the Second World War Sproston guested for Port Vale and Millwall and saw active service with the Army in India. He returned to City after the War and won a Second Division Championship medal with them in 1946-47, to add to his eleven England caps and two war-time International appearances and Football League representative honours. After scoring five goals in one hundred and twenty-five League appearances for City, he joined Ashton United in August 1950. In July 1951 he was appointed Trainer at Bolton Wanderers and later scouted for the Burnden Park club. He died in Bolton on 27th January 2000.