Football, Olympian and music hall comedian - the extraordinary life of former Halifax Town forward Harry Walden

In his latest article for the Courier, Halifax Town historian Johnny Meynell tells the extraordinary story of Halifax, Bradford and Arsenal footballer, Olympian and music hall comedian Harry Walden.
Harry Walden. Photo courtesy of Johnny MeynellHarry Walden. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Harry Walden. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell

Over the years, Halifax Town and the newly formed club have had on their books players who have gone on to represent their country, notably Chris Nicholl and Jamie Vardy.

And as we’ve seen recently, a couple have gone on to win league championship medals, Ernie Coleman and, er, Jamie Vardy.

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But in what should have been Olympic year, it does proffer the question of whether Halifax Town have ever had a player who’s gone on appear in the sporting spectacle which was meant to come around every four years.

Walden, sporting his famous kiss-curl. Photo courtesy of Johnny MeynellWalden, sporting his famous kiss-curl. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Walden, sporting his famous kiss-curl. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell

In recent times, Shane Smeltz, who made 37 appearances for the Shaymen during the 2006-07 season, represented New Zealand at the London Olympics of 2012, but one hundred years earlier, another former Halifax Town player not only represented Great Britain at the Stockholm Games, but he also went on to win a gold medal and score in the final, to boot.

Harold Abraham Walden was his name, a forward whose time with Halifax Town was but fleeting, but nevertheless important in kick-starting his career.

For it was the goals he scored whilst playing for the club, then based at Sandhall Lane and competing in the Yorkshire Combination in their inaugural season, that led him to a move to Bradford City and Olympic glory.

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It could be argued that Harry Walden was the most famous player ever to wear the club’s colours, yet those who saw him later performing in the music halls as a singer, actor and comedian, would never have known he’d been a former Halifax Town footballer, nor for that matter would present day supporters ever have heard about him.

Harry Walden, fourth from left on the back row, poses with his Great Britain team mates at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Photo courtesy of Johnny MeynellHarry Walden, fourth from left on the back row, poses with his Great Britain team mates at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Harry Walden, fourth from left on the back row, poses with his Great Britain team mates at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell

Walden was born in Umballa, India, on 10 October 1887 whilst his father was serving with the 2nd Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment, but later, having been raised in Manchester, enlisted with the same regiment in April 1902 aged just 14, having given falsities when he was legally underage.

It was whilst serving in Antrim that Walden developed into a talented footballer, and he went on to turn out for both Cliftonville and Linfield during his time in Ireland.

He represented the Irish Army against the English Army in a match at Aldershot on 9 April 1910, scoring twice in a 3-3 draw, and was called up twice to play matches against the Navy, later that term and again the following season.

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By then Walden was a Linfield player and his record of five goals in just six matches earned him selection for the Irish League against the Scottish League at Glasgow on 30 October 1911, a match watched by a Halifax Town delegation who’d been alerted to his talents.

Walden, on the left, watches team mate Ivan Sharpe take on the Denmark defence in the Olympic final. Photo courtesy of Johnny MeynellWalden, on the left, watches team mate Ivan Sharpe take on the Denmark defence in the Olympic final. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Walden, on the left, watches team mate Ivan Sharpe take on the Denmark defence in the Olympic final. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell

Though the Scots won the match 3-0 with Walden subdued, the Town contingency signed him on amateur forms and Walden, having paid the Army £25 to be released, duly took his place in the Halifax Town side the following Saturday, marking his debut against Bradford Reserves at Sandhall with two second half goals in a 3-0 win.

‘Speedy, quick at snapping up opportunities, a fine and dashing trekker, a dead shot, and a capital receiver of passes, as well as distributor, such are the capabilities which he evinced on

Saturday,’ was how Halifax Courier reporter Tom Dickinson viewed Walden’s performance in that match.

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Walden went on to score a hat-trick in a 4-0 defeat over a Kirkstall-based Leeds United side and netted a brace in a 4-2 victory over Thornhill Lees Albion in what turned out to be his last

appearance for the club, for on 15 December 1911, he signed for First Division Bradford City, leaving Halifax Town with an impressive record of eight goals from just six matches.

The day after signing for the Bantams, Walden made his League debut in a 3-2 home defeat by Notts County, and though he failed to score he got amongst the goals in his next match, grabbing a brace as City defeated Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at White Hart Lane two days before Christmas.

Walden later scored three of his side’s four goals in the FA Cup replay victory against Queen’s Park Rangers on 18 January 1912 and rounded off the season with his second hat-trick when he scored all his side’s goals in the 3-0 return with Spurs at Valley Parade, a feat which made him top scorer with a total of 14 goals from 20 matches.

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He had therefore proved his worth on the field, and off it, too. On away trips he took over from Willie Gildea and Frank Thompson as the team clown and entertainer, with a slapstick act and a ukulele that was a taste of things to come.

Retaining amateur status, Walden’s goalscoring exploits earned him a call-up for the Great Britain Olympic football team for the Games that were held between May and July that year.

Among his team mates were Gordon Hoare (Arsenal), and the legendary Viv Woodward, then a Chelsea player, but it was Walden himself who took the competition by storm, for after the GB side had been given a bye in the first round, Walden hit an astonishing six goals in a 7-0 victory over Hungary in the second round match, then scored two more in the 4-2 semi-final victory over Finland.

In the final itself, played in Stockholm’s Olympic Stadium on 4 July 1912, Walden opened the scoring after ten minutes in the match with Denmark and helped the side to a 4-2 victory to be proclaimed Olympic champions.

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Apparently, upon receiving his gold medal from the King of Sweden, Gustav V, Walden is reputedly to have said, “Thanks, King,’ and he came away from the competition having netted nine goals from just three games and remains to this day Britain’s highest-ever Olympic goalscorer.

In readiness for the 1912-13 season, Walden turned professional and carried on leading the line for Bradford City, though his time at the club was interrupted when he suffered cartilage problems in 1913, and underwent surgery the following year.

In May 1914 Bradford City went on a tour of Europe, taking on several side including teams from Germany; by the following September, with Britain now at war, Walden took it upon himself to instruct the City players on military training, including drills to ready themselves when the call to arms came to fight the Germans.

A month later he was also instructing members of the Ravenscliffe Golf Club.

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On 22 April 1915, the day after a recruitment drive in which both Walden and team mate Dicky Bond addressed the crowd at half-time in the derby match with Bradford, Walden enlisted with the 18th West Yorkshire’s, otherwise known as the 2nd Bradford Pals Battalion, and was commissioned to the rank of second Lieutenant.

Walden moved to the 20th West Yorks in August 1915 and during 1916 was actively arranging games between soldiers and football clubs, for morale and fitness purposes.

In February 1917 Walden fought at Etaples, but damaged his knee jumping into a trench during training and returned to Britain, recuperating in Hull.

When his knee improved, Walden took to football once more and spent the 1917-18 season with Hull City, playing under the nom-de-plume Captain Wallis and netting seven goals from 21 wartime appearances.

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Walden returned to play for Bradford City during 1918-19, but by then his career in show business was taking off.

He made his stage debut at the Bradford Alhambra Theatre, singing at the piano for a lifeboat appeal show, and with the theatre owner enamoured by his performance, he was booked on

the variety bill, and by December 1919 his new path was being forged, a full time entertainer, though he saw out that season with Bradford City by scoring four goals from 12 League appearances.

Indeed, it was his performance when scoring both his side’s goals in a 2-1 victory at Arsenal which eventually led Walden joining the Gunners the following season, though his signing on 7 October 1920 astonished many for it was assumed that he had ‘retired’ from the game owing to a surfeit of bookings for his popular variety hall performances, for which he had a reputed three years’ worth of contracts signed for his shows, which paid well, £30 per week being almost eight times what a footballer could earn.

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In the event, Walden made just two League appearances for Arsenal, playing in the consecutive away and home draws against Oldham Athletic on 12 and 19 February 1921, scoring in the latter.

He also appeared in a few friendlies but returned to Yorkshire to continue his burgeoning career in film and stage. By then, he had starred in the first footballing film, ‘The Winning Goal’, in which Walden played the leading character Jack Metherill.

This silent movie, released in August 1920, also included his pal, Dicky Bond as an extra and was hugely successful, playing to packed audiences up and down the country.

Though Walden registered to play for the Bradford (Park Avenue), his performing career expanded to the extent that he never turned out for the side.

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In 1925 he was engaged in Edgar Warwick’s Concert Party which toured the Far East and Australia, and back home Walden continued to play the northern music halls, delivering an act which was unique, drawing upon his footballing career.

Noted for his ‘kiss-curl’ Walden played on stages around the country, performed during the Second World War, and often featured on the radio.

In 1948 he appeared as himself in another football related film entitled ‘Cup-Tie Honeymoon”, and towards the end of his career he became a member of northern impresario Ernest Binns’ Arcadian Follies in Morecambe.

But Walden went on to suffer financial problems – it was rumoured he had to sell his Olympic gold medal – and was declared bankrupt in 1951.

He continued to play the circuit, however, but it was after attending a Yorkshire Evening News Christmas Charity event that Walden died of a heart attack at Leeds Railway Station on 2 December 1955.