Bryan Herbert ATKINSON (1955‐1956) Defender Born Clavering, Essex, 15 April 1934 Died Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, 10 August 1989 Watford Career Football League: 20 appearances FA Cup: 1 appearance Début: 1‐6 away defeat v Reading, Football League Div 3 (South), 14 Sep 1955 Final game: 3‐3 home draw v Norwich City, Football League Div 3 (South), 1 Dec 1956 Longest run of consecutive appearances: Football League 9; all competitions 9 Career Path Chase of Chertsey; Leyton Orient trial (1952); Bishops Stortford; Royal Artillery, Woolwich; Hertfordshire (1953/54); WATFORD (amateur January 1954, professional June 1954); Folkestone Town (free February 1957 until January 1964) Football League Career Apps Subs Goals League Status and Final Position 1955/56 WATFORD 16 Football League Division 3 (South) – 21st of 24 1956/57 WATFORD 4 Football League Division 3 (South) – 11th of 24 He was doing his National Service and playing for Bishops Stortford when he signed amateur forms for Watford, and turned professional five months later, having by then been demobbed. A sturdy half‐back, Bryan Atkinson left for Folkestone Town in mid‐season on a free transfer at the same time as Derrick Allen. In 1953/54 he’d represented Hertfordshire in the Southern Counties Amateur Championship. Known as “Bryan”. Birth index OK. Death index & probate OK. Played for Herts in Southern Counties Amateur Championship 1953/54. Signed pro on demob from army. Together with Derrick Allen was released mid‐season to join Folkestone. Son Steve e‐mailed the club in Feb 2012 – [email protected] 5 ft 9 ins. 13 st. Paul Graham ATKINSON (1983-1984) Winger Born Otley, Yorkshire, 14 August 1961 Watford Career Football League: 8+3 appearances FA Cup: 0+2 appearances Début: (as sub) 0-1 away defeat v Southampton, Football League Div 1, 27 Dec 1983 Final game: (as sub) 0-2 defeat v Everton at Wembley Stadium, FA Cup Final, 19 May 1984 Longest run of consecutive appearances: Football League 3; all competitions 3 Career Path Leeds Schools; Yorkshire Schools; Oldham Athletic (apprentice August 1977, professional August 1979); WATFORD (£175,000 July 1983); Oldham Athletic (£30,000 August 1985); Swansea City (loan December 1986); Bolton Wanderers (loan February 1987); Swansea City (loan March 1987); Burnley (free July 1988 – released close season 1990 following injury problems); Northwich Victoria (March 1991); RUS Binchoise (Belgium) (July 1991); Altrincham (August 1993); Frickley Athletic; Farsley Celtic (by November 1994); Yorkshire Amateurs manager (close season 2000 until December 2001); Leeds United football-in- the-community staff (by April 2005); Whetley Lane Vets (by February 2009); Vintage Clarets (by September 2010) Football League Career Apps Subs Goals League Status and Final Position 1979/80 Oldham Athletic 36 2 6 Football League Division 2 – 11th of 22 1980/81 Oldham Athletic 28 2 2 Football League Division 2 – 15th of 22 1981/82 Oldham Athletic 33 Football League Division 2 – 11th of 22 1982/83 Oldham Athletic 42 3 Football League Division 2 – 7th of 22 1983/84 WATFORD 8 3 Football League Division 1 – 11th of 22 1985/86 Oldham Athletic 26 1 Football League Division 2 – 8th of 22 1986/87 Swansea City 18 3 Football League Division 4 – 12th of 24 1986/87 Bolton Wanderers 2 1 Football League Division 3 – 21st of 24 (Relegated) 1987/88 Oldham Athletic 3 4 Football League Division 2 – 10th of 23 1988/89 Burnley 13 1 1 Football League Division 4 – 16th of 24 1989/90 Burnley 5 3 Football League Division 4 – 16th of 24 A left-winger who suffered a broken ankle at the start of his Watford career, which never really took off, Paul Atkinson did however play as a substitute in the FA Cup Final – his last competitive appearance for the club. Earlier a farcical transfer- tribunal decision, after Watford’s failure to agree a price with Oldham Athletic, left them to pay more than Oldham had asked for in the first place. Having joined the professional ranks on his 17th birthday, he scored on his Football League début at Newcastle United four days later. His father Charlie made nearly four hundred League appearances for Hull City and the two Bradford clubs. Known as “Paul”. Birth index OK. Signing for Altrincham was subject to international clearance. Son of Charles (Hull C, etc). Scored at Newcastle on FL début, 4 days after signing pro on 17th birthday. Fee paid by Watford decided by FL tribunal, and was more than Oldham had originally asked for. 5 ft 10 ins. 11 st 5 lbs. Duncan Stewart AULD (1897) Wing-half / Forward Born Govan, Lanarkshire, 16 July 1878 Died Hounslow, Middlesex, 6 December 1911 West Herts Career Southern League: 2 appearances FA Cup: 1 appearance Début: 4-7 home defeat v 3rd Grenadier Guards, FA Cup Preliminary Round, 18 Sep 1897 Final game: 2-1 away win v Wycombe Wanderers, Southern League Div 2, 6 Nov 1897 Longest run of consecutive appearances: Southern League 1; all competitions 2 Career Path Watford Church Institute; WEST HERTS (1897/98) Southern League Career Apps Subs Goals League Status and Final Position 1897/98 WEST HERTS 2 Southern League Division 2 – 3rd of 12 Unusually among his compatriots who have represented the club down the years, Duncan Auld was actually living and playing in the Watford area when he was called up at Cassio Road. A wing-half or forward, he was a member of the last all- amateur line-up to be fielded by the club in a Southern League fixture. It took place at Uxbridge, and the home side won 2-0. Known as “Duncan”. Birth registration OK. Death index (D1911) OK – probate nothing. Born at Thomson St, Govan, son of Peter Dickson Auld, master grocer. A daughter born 31 Mar 1901 at 4 Liverpool Rd, Watford. 1927 electoral register shows a Florence May Auld at 77a Queens Road. Cedric Mickael AVINEL (2007) Centre-half Born Paris, France, 11 September 1986 Representative Honours Guadeloupe Full Watford Career FA Premier League: 1 appearance Football League Cup: 2 appearances Début: 2-0 away win v Reading, FA Premier League, 5 May 2007 Final game: 0-2 away defeat v Southend United, Football League Cup 2nd Round, 28 Aug 2007 Longest run of consecutive appearances: all competitions 1 Career Path Union Sportive Créteil-Lusitanos (France); WATFORD (free January 2007); Stafford Rangers (loan September 2007); Gueugnon (France) (loan January 2009, free close season 2009); AS Cannes (France) (May 1910); Clermont Foot Auvergne 63 (France) (May 2011); Ajaccio (France) (July 2017) FA Premier League Career Apps Subs Goals League Status and Final Position 2006/07 WATFORD 1 FA Premier League – 20th of 20 (Relegated) Cedric Avinel’s Watford career wasn’t a conspicuous one – he was replaced at half-time in his only Premier League appearance and his two Football League Cup outings were in a deliberately weakened side – but he did acquire Full international status, playing five times in eleven days for Guadeloupe just before returning to French club football, initially in a loan move until it was made permanent five months later. Known as “Cedric”. Officially ceased to be a Watford player 30 June 2009. 5 caps as a Watford player: 4 Dec 2008, 6 Dec 2008, 8 Dec 2008, 11 Dec 2008 & 14 Dec 2008. Arthur William AYLING (1896-1897) Forward Born Newport, Isle of Wight, 9 October 1876 Died Christchurch, Hampshire, 1956 West Herts Career Southern League: 3 appearances FA Amateur Cup: 1 appearance (1 goal) Début: 3-1 home win v Bradfield Waifs, FA Amateur Cup 2nd Qualifying Round, 7 November 1896 Final game: 0-3 home defeat v 1st Scots Guards, Southern League Div 2, 16 Jan 1897 Longest run of consecutive appearances: Southern League 1; all competitions 2 Career Path Bushey Grove (by 1895); WEST HERTS (1896) Southern League Career Apps Subs Goals League Status and Final Position 1896/97 WEST HERTS 3 Southern League Division 2 – 9th of 13 A forward in the club’s first season of Southern League football, he was on the losing side in each of his three games. He was also picked for an FA Amateur Cup tie, and scored in the 3-1 win against Bradfield Waifs, which was the club’s last-ever victory in that competition. He was employed by André & Sleigh, a Bushey firm which later become Sun Printers, and it was recorded in the club minutes that the honorary secretary should write to thank Mr Sleigh “for allowing Ayling to get away from Business” and play in the Southern League fixture against the Royal Engineers Training Battalion at Chatham seven days after the Bradfield Waifs game. (This occurrence reflects the fact that Saturday morning was then part of the normal working week – Ayling would have been free to play in the home Amateur Cup tie after working in the morning, but needed the permission of his employer to travel down to Chatham the following Saturday morning.) Arthur Ayling had been born stone deaf, and was educated as a boarder at the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, Brighton. Birth index OK (Isle of Wight D1876). Death OK index: Christchurch M1956. Baptized 8 Dec 1876 at St Thomas’, Newport, Isle of Wight. Probate nothing. 1881 census: aged 4 and living at Godshill, Isle of Wight. 1891 census: aged 14 and boarding at the Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, Brighton. 1901 census: living as a lodger in Woking, aged 24, compositor, b Newport IOW, deaf (head of the household was a printer’s machinist). A.B.A.Sleigh (see “Misc Biogs”) had Surrey connections. It was minuted that the Hon Sec should write to Mr Sleigh for “allowing Ayling to get away from Business” and play v RE at Chatham.