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Grenville Morris

Grenville Morris
Personal information
Full name Arthur Grenville Morris
Date of birth 13 April 1877[1]
Place of birth Builth Wells, Wales
Date of death 27 November 1959(1959-11-27) (aged 82)[2]
Place of death West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England[2]
Position(s) Inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Builth Wells
1894–1897 Aberystwyth Town 75 (111)
1897–1898 Swindon Town 31 (23)
1898–1913 Nottingham Forest 421 (199)
Total 563 (297)
International career
1896–1912 Wales 21 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Arthur Grenville Morris (13 April 1877[3] – 27 November 1959) was a Welsh footballer who played in the Football League for Nottingham Forest. He is the club's all-time highest scorer with 217 goals. He also played for Aberystwyth Town and Swindon Town, and represented Wales internationally, earning 21 caps between 1896 and 1912.

Club career

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Usually just known as Grenville Morris, he was born in Builth Wells, Wales.[3] He was educated at Ellesmere College, Shropshire from May 1892 to December 1893.

Morris began playing football for his local team, Builth Wells F.C. He was still recorded as playing for this team (described as "Builth Football Club" in the press) in the Brecon County Times, of 29 December 1893, scoring a goal in a 4–1 win over Brecon.[4] By January 1894, he was playing for Aberystwyth Town.[5] Morris scored 111 goals for the team in 75 appearances.[6] He moved from Aberystwyth Town to Swindon Town making his debut on 6 February 1897.[7][8] At this time Swindon played in both the Southern Football League, and the Western Football League. Grenville scored on his debut for Swindon in a game away against North Fleet in the Southern League. He then scored a goal in the game at home to New Brompton in the same league a week later.[9] He went on to play 50 games for the Robins in all competitions, scoring 44 goals.[3] This total consisted of 31 appearances in the Southern League, scoring 23 goals. Sixteen appearances in the Western League, scoring 20 goals. And three appearances in the FA Cup, with 1 goal. He was one of the greatest players of his generation and was known as The Prince of the Inside-Lefts.[3]

Morris moved on to Nottingham Forest in 1898 for a sum of £200.[3] He still holds Forest's all-time goal scoring record with 217 in all competitions.[10]

International

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On 29 February 1896, at the age of 18 years and 321 days old[1] he won his first full international Welsh cap against Ireland, scoring a goal in a 6–1 victory. It took place at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham.[11][12] Morris went on to play 21 times for his country, the last 16 of which were whilst he was with Forest. His last Welsh cap came on 11 March 1912 against England. He scored a total of nine goals in international football.[13]

Career statistics

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Club

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Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Swindon Town[3] 1896–97 Southern Football League 4 2 0 0 4 2
1897–98 Southern Football League 18 12 3 1 21 13
1898–99 Southern Football League 9 9 0 0 9 9
Total 31 23 3 1 34 24
Nottingham Forest[14] 1898–99 First Division 17 7 3 0 19 7
1899–1900 First Division 29 8 6 3 35 11
1900–01 First Division 31 14 3 1 34 15
1901–02 First Division 27 7 3 2 30 9
1902–03 First Division 33 24 4 2 37 26
1903–04 First Division 24 12 3 2 27 14
1904–05 First Division 26 12 2 1 43 13
1905–06 First Division 32 19 4 3 36 22
1906–07 Second Division 36 21 2 1 38 22
1907–08 First Division 23 7 1 0 25 7
1908–09 First Division 34 12 3 0 37 12
1909–10 First Division 30 19 1 1 31 20
1910–11 First Division 26 11 1 1 44 12
1911–12 Second Division 19 10 1 0 20 10
1912–13 Second Division 34 16 1 1 35 17
Total 421 199 38 18 459 217
Career total 452 222 41 19 493 241

International

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Wales[15]
Year Apps Goals
1896 3 1
1897 1 0
1898 1 0
1899 2 0
1903 2 0
1905 2 2
1907 2 1
1908 1 0
1910 3 2
1911 3 3
1912 1 0
Total 21 9

Honours

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Nottingham Forest

References

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  1. ^ a b "Wales national football team statistics and records: youngest players". Via 11v11.com. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Death of Grenville Morris". Football Post, p.7. Via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 2 October 2021.(Subscription required.)
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Grenville Morris". swindon-town-fc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  4. ^ Brecon County Times, Friday 29 December 1893, p.5. Via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 2 October 2021.(Subscription required.)
  5. ^ "Welsh Cup Tie - 4th Round". Montgomery County Times and Shropshire and Mid-Wales Advertiser, Saturday 27 January 1894, p.6. Via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 2 October 2021.(Subscription required.)
  6. ^ Grosvenor, Gavin (12 November 2020)."Builth Wells born 'Prince of Inside Lefts' who remains Nottingham Forest all time top scorer".Powys County Times. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Football Notes". Gloucester Citizen, Monday 8 February 1897, p.4. Via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 4 October 2021.(Subscription required.)
  8. ^ Plowman, Paul (7 February 2012)."Grenville was footballing royalty". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Playing Record: Grenville Morris: Season 1896 - 97". swindon-town-fc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  10. ^ Lansley, Peter (12 August 2009). "Top 50 Nottingham Forest players". The Times. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Wales v. Ireland". Sporting Life, Monday 2 March 1896, p.4. Via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 4 October 2021.(Subscription required.)
  12. ^ "Wales v Ireland, 29 February 1896". Via 11v11.com. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  13. ^ Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Bridge Books. p. 145. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.
  14. ^ Grenville Morris at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  15. ^ "Grenville Morris". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
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