International Football History and Statistics

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On this day in football history

1935 George Cummings, Partick Thistle left back, transferred to Aston Villa. He had five years with Thistle and towards the end of the 1930s was widely regarded as the best Scottish left back. He won 9 caps between 1935 and 1939 and continued in the Villa first team until 1949. During his career he appeared in 319 peace time League matches on either side of the border.

1952 Blackburn Rovers signed Tommy Briggs, a centre forward from Birmingham. He went on to prove the best they had since Ted Harper in the 1920's. He only scored 9 goals in the remainder of the 1952-53 season, but then for the next four seasons scored 32, 33 (including 7 in the match against Bristol Rovers at Ewood Park), 31 and 32 goals. When he returned to Grimsby Town, the club he had made his name with during 1957-58, he had scored 140 goals in 194 League games for Rovers. Immediately after the War he was on Plymouth Argyle's books but never played in their first team and joined Grimsby in 1947. In 1949-50 he scored 40 goals (36 in the League) and played for England 'B' against Switzerland 'B'. He moved to Coventry City in 1950 and then to Birmingham 1951. In March 1959 he was appointed player manager to Glentoran and when he left the Football League he had scored 256 League goals in 390 matches.

1962 Preston North End signed Douglas Holden, a former England outside left who had spent twelve years with Bolton Wanderers. Whilst on the Burnden Park staff he had won a Cup winners' medal in 1958 and 5 international caps the following season. He had three years at Deepdale before emigrating to Australia in 1965. He played in 418 League games, scored 40 goals for Bolton, and played 90 matches and scored 13 goals for Preston.