Full name Harold W. Collyer Years Team Date of birth circa 1885 1906-1915 Crystal Palace | Place of birth Bromley, England Name Harry Collyer Playing position Role Footballer | |
Harold W. "Harry" Collyer (born c. 1885) was an English footballer who played for Crystal Palace as a full back.
Career
Collyer joined Palace in 1906, the club's second season and their first in the Southern League First Division. He made his debut on Boxing Day away to Watford, and initially played as a left back. However, he quickly switched to right back and established himself in the team, remaining at the club until the outbreak of World War I. Described by former Palace chaplain Reverend Nigel Sands as "a tough, sturdy, strong, muscular full-back with a giant-sized heart", Collyer was the first Palace player to earn a testimonial match, the 1912 home match against Coventry City. Collyer made 263 Southern League appearances for the club, and a further 18 in the FA Cup, totalling 281 outings at Palace, netting just one goal. By the time of the First World War, Collyer was the longest serving player at the club, his total not beaten until Albert Harry in the 1930s.