Dai Astley

Dai Astley
Personal information
Full name	David John Astley
Date of birth	11 October 1909
Place of birth	Dowlais, Wales
Date of death	7 November 1989 (aged 80)
Place of death	Birchington-on-Sea, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team
1927–1928	Merthyr Town
1928–1931	Charlton Athletic
1931–1936	Aston Villa
1936–1938	Derby County
1938–1940	Blackpool
1946–1947	Metz
International career
1931–1938	Wales
Managerial career
1948	Internazionale
1949–1950	Genoa
1950–1954	Djurgårdens
1955–1957	Sandvikens IF
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

David John Astley (11 October 1909 – 7 November 1989) was a Welsh international footballer who played as an inside forward in The Football League in the 1920s and 1930s.^[3]

Club career

Dowlais-born Astley played for Merthyr Town, Charlton, Aston Villa, Derby County, Blackpool and Metz. He scored 92 goals for Aston Villa in 165 matches.

Astley made his league debut on 19 November 1927 against Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic. When Albert Lindon was appointed player-manager at Charlton Athletic in January 1928, he signed Astley for £100.^[4] Astley made his debut for Blackpool, then under the managership of Joe Smith, two-thirds of the way through the 1938–39 campaign, in a 1–1 draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road on 25 January 1939. He went on to make a further sixteen League appearances before the season's end, scoring six goals. In 1939–40, he appeared in the three League games that occurred prior to the competition being abandoned as a result of the outbreak of World War II.^[5]

After the war, he joined Metz, where he spent a year.^[6]

International career

He was capped 13 times for the Wales national football team, scoring on 12 occasions. He scored two goals in Wales' final match of the 1933 British Home Championship, a 4–1 victory over Ireland which gave Wales the title.^[7]

Management

Astley managed Djurgårdens and Sandvikens IF^[8] in Sweden from 1950 to 1954 and from 1955 to 1957, as well as Inter Milan during 1948 and Genoa in 1949.

References

^ Kaufman, Neilson. "VE Day WW2 players as at May 2020" (PDF). pp. 5–6. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
^ "Villa have talent to succeed". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. vi – via Newspapers.com.
^ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Soccerdata. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
^ Sweet, Philip (2007). Merthyr Town A.F.C. 1908–1934 A history. T.T.C Books. ISBN 978-0-9539376-3-9.
^ Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
^ playerhistory.com
^ "1930's Month: When Wales Ruled Britannia". The Equaliser. 25 January 2011. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
^ "Tränare genom åren". Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2010.

[Kaufman-1] Kaufman, Neilson. "VE Day WW2 players as at May 2020" (PDF). pp. 5–6. Retrieved 18 July 2020.

[2] "Villa have talent to succeed". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. vi – via Newspapers.com.

[3] Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Soccerdata. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.

[4] Sweet, Philip (2007). Merthyr Town A.F.C. 1908–1934 A history. T.T.C Books. ISBN 978-0-9539376-3-9.

[5] Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.

[ph-6] yerhistory.com

[7] "1930's Month: When Wales Ruled Britannia". The Equaliser. 25 January 2011. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2011.

[8] "Tränare genom åren". Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2010.

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