Mackrill Percy Image 2 Halifax Town 1922

Description

Wynberg, Cape Town, South Africa born left back Percy Mackrill began his senior football career with Bradford Park Avenue, joining them in the summer of 1913 and remained with them until the outbreak of the First World War, though he failed to make the first team. He spent the War years from 1915 playing for Rotherham County, and after the conflict he joined Second Division Coventry City in the summer of 1919 as Coventry began their first season in the Football League, making his Football League debut for them against Birmingham that September.

However, having played just that single game he moved to Welsh club Pontypridd and but returned to the Football League with newly elected Third Division (North) club Halifax Town in 1921, and Mackrill played in their inaugural League game, a 2-0 defeat to eventual runners-up Darlington at Feethams on 27th August 1921.

He made 62 appearances for Halifax before leaving at the end of the 1922-23 season to re-join Pontypridd, where he spent two years before joining Torquay United in 1925. He later became player-manager in July 1925 and led Torquay to the Southern League Championship in 1927, which they won on goal average by 0.002 of a goal from Bristol City reserves. This earned them promotion to The Football League, Torquay winning election in place of Aberdare Athletic.

Indeed although he didn’t play in their initial games, he made half a dozen League appearances in their first season during September and October although they eventually finished bottom, remaining their manager until March 1929 when he was sacked with United struggling near the foot of the table once more, being replaced by Albert Hoskins.

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