Anderson Albert

 

Player Bert Anderson

Albert Edgar (Bert) Anderson

Hon Fixture Secretary 1945-1958

Awarded Life Membership 1957

Position: Winger/Centre/Fly Half

Born: 25th June 1898 in Lower Weston, Bath

Height:

Weight:

Education: Bath Forum School

Achievements: Captain of Bath ‘A’ XV

Honours:

Debut game: 4th March 1920 v Burnham-on-Sea

Final game: 30th January 1932 v Plymouth Albion

Number of Appearances: 58

Debut game:

Final game:

Bert played rugby for the Bath Forum School. In the early 1900’s there was a difference between the school leaving age and the age at which senior rugby could be played so, on leaving school, he took up soccer and played for Oldfield Park Baptists in the Bath and District League.

In the early days of the war a few “old boys” of the Forum got together and formed a team to play rugby at Lower Weston.   Len Burt and Harry Jackman were amongst their numbers,

Bert enlisted in the Royal Berkshire Regiment at the beginning of 1917 and at the time of the Armistice had been a prisoner of war in Germany for nine months consequently he had to serve another year, being demobilised at the end of 1919.

Season 1920-21 saw Bert play for St Mary’s and for Bath against Burnham-on-Sea and Cheltenham. The following season he was made Vice- Captain of Bath “A” and Captain in 1922-23, a position to which he held on a number of occasions.

Owing to the demands made by the 1st XV in 1923-24, Bert saw very little of his”A” team mates.

Bert fostered the development of the United teams and was influential in increasing skill levels.

Bert  was a Club stalwart as a player, and was a long serving committee member, selector and Honorary Team Secretary.

A ‘Club Personality’ pen portrait appeared in the Bath Football Herald & Chronicle on Saturday January 6th 1934. It accurately records his last United game versus Sidmouth, away on 2nd April 1932. He played scrum half to partner Tom Blanning.

The full United team: C Bailey, F le M James, L Wardle, S Watts, J W Jacob, A E Anderson, T Blanning, P Curtis, F Blackmore, S Jones, L T Tanner, S Shipp, J W Jenkins, T Williams and H Davies. (Won 15-6)

His last 1st XV match is thought to have been against Bristol. However, the Honorary Team Secretary’s notebook has the following entries:

10/10/1931 Bath v Bridgend, Home – Won 16-15

17/10/1931 Bristol v Bath, Away      -Won 13-11

30/1/1932   Plymouth Albion, Away Lost     0-15

The Football Herald & Chronicle described 1931 – 1932  as the :- BEST SEASON SINCE THE WAR.

Played 38, Won 25, Lost 12 and Drawn 1. For – 418 Against – 280.

A quiet and unassuming gentleman – Bert was very much part of this success.

His contribution to the development of the Club was immense, and along with Mrs Mollie Gerrard, was mainly responsible for the rebuilding of the Clubhouse.

BATH CHRONICLE  12th October 1931

“It is generally not known that Bert spent quite a long time under the care of the Germans, but came back and got his Bath cap in 1923.”

At the Club’s AGM on 29th June 1961, the President presented Bert with an inscribed watch in recognition of his services to the Club.

His name is perpetuated with a Silver Cup, now an annual award within the Bath Old Players Skittle section.

Bert died in 1962.