Harry Devey

Henry Prince Devey (25 September 1864 – 25 April 1940) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Aston Villa.

Harry Devey

Personal information
Full name	Henry Prince Devey
Date of birth	(1864-09-25)25 September 1864
Place of birth	Birmingham, England
Date of death	25 April 1940(1940-04-25) (aged 75)
Place of death	Moseley, Birmingham, England
Position(s)	Centre half
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1881–1884	Aston Clarendon
1884–1886	Montrose (Birmingham)
1886–1887	Birmingham Excelsior
1887–1892	Aston Villa	73	(1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Personal life

Henry Prince Devey was born in Birmingham on 25 September 1964.^[1] He came from a sporting family. His twin brother Bob played football for Aston Villa, but not in the Football League.^[1][2] Three nephews all played football professionally, Jack Devey for Aston Villa and England, Ted for Small Heath and Will for several Midlands-based clubs, and their brother Abel played Minor Counties cricket for Staffordshire.^[3][4]

Outside football, Devey worked as an electroplater.^[5] He was married with a daughter.^[5] Devey died in a nursing home in Moseley, Birmingham, on 25 April 1940 at the age of 75.^[5]

Playing career

Devey played for Aston Clarendon, Montrose (Birmingham), and Birmingham Excelsior,^[1] from where he joined Aston Villa in August 1887.^[6]

Season 1888–89

Harry Devey was a key member of the Aston Villa squad in the Football League inaugural season of 1888–89. Devey played in the first ever Villa League match on 8 September 1888 at Dudley Road, Wolverhampton then home of Wolverhampton Wanderers. The match ended 1-1. Devey was described as a keen, hard-tackler who had the ability, then rare for a defender at bringing the ball forward. He only missed one game in 1888-1889 and was part of the excellent Aston Villa defence (as Centre-Half) that only conceded 43 goals in 1888-1889 the 3rd lowest in the League in 1888–1889. As a centre-half he played in a defence that achieved one League clean-sheet and kept the opposition to one-League-goal-in-a-match on no less than on eight occasions.^[1] Aston Villa finished runners-up.^[7]

Professional baseball

In 1890 Devey played professional baseball for Aston Villa in the National League of Baseball of Great Britain.

Statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition^[1]

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Aston Villa	1888–89	Football League	21	0	3	0	24	0
	1889–90	Football League	19	0	1	0	20	0
	1890–91	Football League	19	0	1	0	20	0
	1891–92	Football League	10	1	4	0	14	1
	1892–93	First Division	4	0	0	0	4	0
	Total		73	1	9	0	82	1