Val Rouse

Rouse in 1928
Personal information
Full name	Alfred Valentine Rouse[1]
Date of birth	(1897-02-14)14 February 1897[1]
Place of birth	Hoddesdon, England[1]
Date of death	1961 (aged 63–64)[1]
Height	5 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1.74 m)[2]
Position(s)	Left half
Youth career
	Llanelly
	Pontypridd
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1921–1922	Wolverhampton Wanderers	5	(0)
1922–1926	Stoke	92	(2)
1926	Swansea Town	4	(0)
1926–1929	Port Vale	95	(0)
1929–1931	Crewe Alexandra	83	(1)
	Connah's Quay & Shotton
Total		279	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alfred Valentine "Val or Vic" Rouse (14 February 1897 – 1961) was an English footballer who played for Crewe Alexandra, Port Vale, Stoke, Swansea Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers and was described as a 'gentleman' player.^[1]

Career

Rouse was born in Hoddesdon and played for Welsh sides Llanelly and Pontypridd, before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1921.^[1] He played five Second Division games for "Wolves" in the 1921–22 campaign, before joining First Division club Stoke in August 1922.^[1] He played in 38 matches in 1922–23 as Stoke suffered relegation back to the Second Division.^[1] Manager Tom Mather kept faith with Rouse at left-half in 1923–24, and made him captain for the 1924–25 campaign. He scored his first senior goal in a 1–1 draw with Barnsley at the Victoria Ground on 1 November 1924. Despite possessing a strong squad, overall performances on the pitch were below standard and the team went 12 matches without a win (1 January 1925 to 21 March 1925) and were almost relegated.^[1] Four wins and three draws in their last eight matches ensured survival by the narrowest of margins, a single point.^[1] Rouse was the sold to Swansea Town, but featured just four times for the "Swans" in 1925–26. He left Vetch Field and joined Port Vale in June 1926.^[3] He played 29 Second Division matches in the 1926–27 season and then 39 league games in the 1927–28 season, as Vale posted top ten finishes. However, he lost his first team place at The Old Recreation Ground in February 1929, and was given a free transfer in May 1929. He spent the 1929–30 and 1930–31 seasons in the Third Division North with Crewe Alexandra, before joining Connah's Quay & Shotton.

Career statistics

Source:^[4]

References