Alf Freeman

Football career Freeman was born in Bethnal Green and joined Tottenham Hotspur as a trainee in 1939 but, before he could establish himself, the outbreak of the Second World War brought normal football to a temporary halt.

He enlisted with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and saw service in Normandy. While playing football for the army, he met Alf Ramsey and the two became good friends. Ramsey credits Freeman with encouraging him to "think tactically" followed by his first-team debut four days later at inside-right in the opening match of the 1946–47 season, a Football League Second Division match at Swansea Town. Freeman was used mainly as cover for Ted Bates, who was frequently unavailable while completing his military service, and missed the next two league matches before returning in place of Bates, scoring twice in a 5–2 victory over Nottingham Forest on 14 September. Despite this, Freeman lost his place to Bates after the next match and played only seven first-team matches in 1946–47.

Having made 21 reserve-team appearances (scoring eight goals) in 1946–47, Freeman spent the entire 1947–48 season in the reserves, with the newly signed George Curtis now the first-team inside-right. Freeman made 33 appearances for the reserves in 1947–48, scoring seven goals, and was released at the end of the season. including one in the Football League Third Division South against Reading. Despite Palace finishing at the bottom of the league, Freeman was unable to break into the side and was transferred to Reading in the summer of 1949. He made no first-team appearances for Reading and retired the following year.

Later career Freeman went into business, manufacturing cardboard cartons and lived in Hendon from where he regularly attended matches at both White Hart Lane and Highbury.