| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cliff Almond | ||
| Date of birth | 1930 | ||
| Place of birth | Cessnock, Australia | ||
| Date of death | 4 November 2018 (aged 88) | ||
| Place of death | Cessnock, Australia | ||
| Position(s) | Full-back / Right winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Aberdare Rangers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1946–1947 | Cessnock | ||
| 1947 | North Shore | ||
| 1953–1954 | Cessnock | ||
| 1954–1955 | Stirling Albion | 8 | (0) |
| 1955–1969 | Cessnock | ||
| International career | |||
| 1955 | Australia | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Cliff Almond was a former Australian professional soccer player who played as a forward. He was an international player for the Australia national soccer team.
His 24-year career included three spells at Cessnock, a brief stint at North Shore and played with Scottish club Stirling Albion playing eight league games. He reportedly played 464 games at club level, with more than 400 appearances at Cessnock.
Early life
Cliff Almond was born in 1930. Growing up, he was a local colliery clerk until he changed to playing soccer.
Club career
1946–54: Cessnock and North Shore stint
Almond progressed from the Aberdare Rangers youth team in 1946, where he signed for Cessnock as a right winger. He first played for Cessnock at age 15 in the 1946 Gardiner Cup with big impressions from spectators.
He made a brief stint at Sydney club North Shore for a year in 1947.
1954–69: English trials and third Cessnock spell
During mid-1954, Cliff Almond was set to travel to England to trial with English clubs Aston Villa and Newcastle United. He then played for Scottish club Stirling Albion on 31 December 1954 and played eight league games in the 1954–55 season.
He returned to Cessnock in 1955, where he moved to a defensive position and began his international career with the NSW state representative team and the Australia national soccer team. Almond played his final match for Cessnock in the Northern NSW top division at age 38.
International career
Almond was selected as part of Australia's five-test match series against South Africa and played three games as captain. He was also selected for the NSW state representative side against South Africa in August 1955.
Death
Cliff Almond died on 4 November 2018 at age 88 in his hometown Cessnock, Australia. His obituary was featured on 9 November 2018.
Career statistics
International
| National team | Year | Competitive | Friendly | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Australia | 1955 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Honours
- Cessnock
- Northern NSW Division One Premiership: 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960
- Northern NSW Division One Championship: 1960
References
- Howe, Andrew (2018). Encyclopedia of Socceroos: Every national team player. Fair Play Publishing. ISBN 978-0-648-13330-8.
- "Cliff Almond: Soccer player". Cessnock City Council. 26 November 2008.
- Werner, Greg (27 April 2016). "Cliff Almond". The Grassroots Football Project.
- "Almond Flying To England". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. No. 24, 232. New South Wales, Australia. 7 June 1954. p. 8. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Cliff Almond Signs For Professional Club". The Newcastle Sun. No. 11, 373. New South Wales, Australia. 31 December 1954. p. 10. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Cliff Almond". My Football. Football Federation Australia. 25 September 2014.
- ^ "The Australian National Men's Football Team: Caps And Captains" (PDF). Football Federation Australia. ozfootball.net. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
- Garside, Alan. "New South Wales v South Africa". ozfootball.net.
- "Cliff ALMOND Death Notice". Cessnock Advertiser.