Harold Walden


Harold Adrian Walden was an English amateur footballer who played for several clubs, Halifax Town, Bradford City and Arsenal. Walden also played for Great Britain's football team, with which he won gold in the 1912 Summer Olympics.

Playing career

A centre forward, he began his career with Cliftonville and Linfield in Ireland, before joining Halifax Town in October 1911 and Bradford City two months later. He spent four seasons with the Bantams and was the League's top scorer in 1911–12. That summer, he was part of the English amateur team that represented Great Britain at the Olympic football tournament, winning the gold medal. He played in all three matches and scored eleven goals. He holds the record of being the 'Highest British goal scorer within the Olympics' and is still the fourth highest goal scorer overall within the Olympics.
Walden entered the army by joining the Cheshire Regiment in April 1902 at the age of 14 and a half as a drummer boy and served in India and Ireland. He played for the Army against the Navy in 1910 and 1911, and also served in World War I, for the West Yorkshire Regiment, rising to the rank of captain. After the war ended he joined Arsenal and played six times for the Gunners, twice against Oldham Athletic scoring a single goal and in four friendlies, with his debut coming on 12 February 1921. With just those games to his name, he returned to Bradford at the end of the 1920–21 season.

Personal life

After retiring from football and the army, he went into the music hall as a variety performer, touring England, Australia, China and India. He made his stage debut while still playing football, in 1919. He had also had a minor film career, which included starring in The Winning Goal, one of the earliest football-related films, in 1920. Walden also played himself in the 1948 film Cup-tie Honeymoon. He made 78rpm records such as "Ronnie the Robin" together with "And only me knows why", on the Imperial label as well as from Ernest Binns' Arcadian Follies, 'Mother I'm a soldier' and 'Only me knows why' upon Parlophone. The latter was reviewed in The Gramophone magazine's November 1939 edition. He died in 1955 of a heart attack at Leeds railway station. He is buried at Killingbeck RC Cemetery, York Road, Leeds, Yorkshire.

Honours

;Great Britain