Description
Prescot, Lancashire born goalkeeper Edward “Ed” Roughley began his football career playing for Skelmersdale United in 1904, and played for St Helens Recreation in 1905, where he had a phenomenal record as a penalty stopper, before signing for Second Division Hull City in May 1906. Initially understudy to Martin Spendiff, he made his Football League debut, and only appearance that season, against Burslem Port Vale in April 1907, before taking over the gloves from Spendiff in April 1908, thereafter being The Tigers’ regular goalkeeper for the following four seasons, during which time he missed only five matches and was an ever present in 1909-10 and 1910-11. In those four seasons they narrowly missed out on promotion, finishing respectively 4th, 3rd, 5th and 7th.
However after 166 matches for The Tigers he lost his place over the summer of 1912 to Nick Hendry, who held the gloves for the next two seasons as an ever present, with Roughley resuming understudy duties before joining Midland League Chesterfield Town in the summer of 1914. He played for Chesterfield both sides of the First World War before joining Rugby Town in January 1920 before his eventual retirement.