Wakefield: Albert Joseph (Albert)

1942-1949 (Player Details) (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Pontefract: 19-11-1921

Debut: v Southampton (a): 30-08-1947

5’9” 11st (1947)

Wakefield joined Leeds from Stanningley Works in September 1942 and made his debut for Leeds at Centre Forward in the 1942-43 Football League Northern Section First Championship scoring the first goal against Newcastle United in a 5-3 win at Gallowgate on 26th September 1942. It was the first of eight consecutive matches that he played in that campaign as United showed remarkable inconsistency as they lost the reverse fixture to Newcastle United 1-7 at Elland Road the following week and he was on the scoresheet again as Leeds hammered Doncaster Rovers 6-0 at Elland Road, before drawing 2-2 at Belle Vue in the reverse fixture. He was the only scorer in a 1-2 defeat by Sunderland at Elland Road but couldn’t repeat the feat as United went down 1-4 in the reverse fixture at Roker Park, nor in the 1-1 home draw with Bradford Park Avenue at Elland Road or the 0-1 away defeat in the reverse fixture. He missed the home game with York City but was back for two consecutive games and scored in both as United lost 1-3 at Bootham Crescent against York City and drew 1-1 with Halifax Town at Elland Road. He missed two games but was back at Inside Left for the final game of the campaign and scored twice in a 3-3 draw with Huddersfield Town at home, to finish with seven goals from nine appearances in the campaign. In the 1942-43 Football League Northern Section Second Championship he was not as prolific and he started off the campaign without scoring in his first eight appearances. He was at Inside Left for the first game on Boxing Day 1942 as United went down 1-2 to Barnsley at Oakwell but was at Centre Forward for the next three as United lost all three, by 1-3 to Barnsley at Elland Road in the reverse fixture and 2-4 at Elland Road and 1-4 at Leeds Road in the two fixtures with Huddersfield Town. He missed the next two fixtures and was at Centre Forward as Leeds lost 1-2 at Bradford Park Avenue and at Inside Left as they drew 2-2 in the reverse game at Elland Road. He carried on at Inside left as United lost 0-1 at Valley Parade and 1-5 at Elland Road in the fixtures with Bradford City before he finally got on the scoresheet in a 3-2 win over Middlesbrough at Elland Road, when he scored twice, but failed to score in his final game of the campaign in the 3-2 win in the reverse fixture at Ayresome Park to finish with two goals from ten games in that campaign. His final wartime appearance was at Outside Left in the first game of the 1943-44 Football League Northern Section First Championship when he was the only scorer as United went down 1-7 at Roker Park against Sunderland on 28th August 1943. He had scored ten goals in twenty-two war-time games. He was posted overseas and did not feature again for United until the 1947-48 season when he enjoyed a belated League debut at the age of twenty-five with a goal against Southampton on 30th August 1947 and finishing as top scorer in his first full peace-time season with twenty-one goals. Had Wakefield not returned to Leeds after World War Two he might have made a name for himself in Italian football. He was serving in Italy and after the war he turned down offers from some Italian clubs and opted to return to United. In August 1949 he was transferred to Southend United as Frank Dudley went in the opposite direction. Wakefield scored fifty-eight goals in one hundred and nine League games for Southend before going to Clacton in July 1953.