| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jeffrey Andrew Wealands[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1951-08-26)26 August 1951 (age 74)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Darlington, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft0+1⁄2 in (1.84 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Star Juniors | |||
| Darlington Cleveland Bridge | |||
| 1968 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1968–1970 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | (0) |
| 1970 | →Northampton Town (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 1970–1972 | Darlington | 28 | (0) |
| 1972–1979 | Hull City | 240 | (0) |
| 1979–1983 | Birmingham City | 102 | (0) |
| 1983 | →Manchester United (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1983–1985 | Manchester United | 2 | (0) |
| 1984 | →Oldham Athletic (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 1984–1985 | →Preston North End (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 1985–1987 | Altrincham | 75 | (0) |
| 1987–1988 | Barrow | ||
| 1988–1992 | Altrincham | 127 | (0) |
| Total | 593 | (0) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jeffrey Andrew Wealands (born 26 August 1951) is an English formerfootballer who played as agoalkeeper. He made nearly 400 appearances in theFootball League, and over 200 more in theConference. He played in theAltrincham team which knocked his former club,Birmingham City of theFirst Division, out of theFA Cup in 1986, only the second time anon-league club has eliminated a top-flight club on their own ground.
Wealands was born inDarlington, County Durham.[1] As a boy he played for Star Juniors,[3] moving on toDarlington Cleveland Bridge. At 17 he signed professional forms forWolverhampton Wanderers, but was unable to break through to the first team, and in 1970 moved back home to joinDarlington in theFourth Division. After 18 months he was transferred toSecond Division sideHull City. He established himself as first choice goalkeeper a year later, and starting from the1973–74 season missed only three games in four years. Injury restricted his appearances in the next season, when Hull were relegated to theThird Division.[4]
In July 1979 Wealands joinedBirmingham City, then in the Second Division, for a fee of £30,000.[5] His first season at Birmingham saw them promoted to theFirst Division. He kept 16 clean sheets and was chosen Player of the Year. He kept his place as first choice goalkeeper, despite competition from promising youngsterTony Coton, and played more than 100 games before a difference of views with new managerRon Saunders saw him out of contention.[5][6] He joinedManchester United as cover forGary Bailey, initially on loan, in 1983, and was an unusedsubstitute in the1983 FA Charity Shield, but a recurring back injury restricted his chances. Periods on loan atOldham Athletic andPreston North End preceded his leaving the Football League altogether to joinAltrincham in the Alliance Premier League (soon to be renamed theFootball Conference).[4][7]
Wealands' first season at Altrincham brought considerable success, culminating in a trip toWembley where the club beatRuncorn 1–0 to win the1985–86 FA Trophy. Inthat season's FA Cup, Altrincham reached the Third Round and were drawn away to Birmingham City, still in the First Division and still managed by Saunders. Wealands helped his new club become only the secondnon-league team to eliminate top-flight opponents on their own ground when they won 2–1,[8][6] a result which gave the player considerable personal satisfaction,[9] and which was followed two days later by Saunders' resignation.[10] The next season Wealands helped the club reach the final of theCheshire Senior Cup. He then had a spell atBarrow before returning to Altrincham in 1988. The last of his 273 games in all competitions for the club was in 1992, by which time he was 41 years old.[11]
After finally retiring from playing, he served briefly on the board of Altrincham, and has coached goalkeepers atBury.[11] In his early days with Altrincham he worked in insurance,[9] and later was involved with a property development company.[11]
Birmingham City
Manchester United
Altrincham
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)'The victory tasted very sweet for me', Wealands said. 'The problems I had with the manager here are well known.'
