About Reg Attwell
Lived 1920 – 1986 (aged 66). Reg Attwell was a British association football player.
Frederick Reginald Attwell (23 March 1920 – 1 December 1986) was an English professional association footballer who played as a right wing-half. He played in the Football League for West Ham United, Burnley and Bradford City, and also had spells in non-league football.
Personal life Attwell was born in Shifnal, Shropshire, the son of a footballer. During the Second World War, he served in the British Army with the Essex Regiment. Following the conclusion of his football career, he lived in Burnley, Lancashire, where he resided until his death at the age of 66.
Career Attwell started his career in non-league football with Denaby United, before signing for West Ham United in the 1937–38 season. He made his league debut for the club in a 3–1 defeat at Sheffield United on 23 April 1938, but did not play again before the outbreak of the Second World War. In wartime, Attwell appeared as a guest player for Leeds United, making his debut on 21 February 1942 in the 0–1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers. He later joining Burnley as a wartime guest in 1945. He scored one goal in 15 matches for Burnley in the 1945–46 campaign before returning to West Ham. Upon his return, Attwell played four more league games for the Hammers,
Attwell played his first competitive match for Burnley on 9 November 1946 in the 1–1 draw with Luton Town. He went on to play 22 league games during his debut season, as well as six matches in the FA Cup as the side reached the final of the competition. He was in the starting line-up for the final as Burnley lost 0–1 to Charlton Athletic. Attwell remained manager Cliff Britton's first-choice right-half throughout the following season, missing only four games of the campaign. He scored his first goal for Burnley on 24 April 1948, netting the second goal in the 2–0 away victory over Chelsea. During the 1948–49 season, Attwell made 38 first-team appearances for Burnley and scored five goals (four of them penalty kicks). His performances earned him a call-up to the Football League representative side for a match against the Scottish League in 1949. Following this, Attwell was widely expected to be selected for the England national football team, but he was never chosen to play for his country. Attwell regained his place in the line-up on 14 October 1950 for the 5–1 home win against Charlton Athletic. He was restricted to 17 league games for the side during the 1950–51 season as Jimmy Adamson took the right wing-half slot from February 1951 until the end of the campaign. With a total of 11 goals in 269 first-team matches for the Clarets, Attwell left Burnley in October 1954 to join Bradford City on a free transfer.
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Important facts
People in Reg Attwell's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Reg Attwell's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Reg Attwell?
English footballer (1920-1986)
When was Reg Attwell born?
Reg Attwell was born on 23 March 1920 in Shropshire.
When did Reg Attwell die?
Reg Attwell died on 1 December 1986 in Burnley.
What was Reg Attwell's occupation?
Reg Attwell was an association football player.
What nationality was Reg Attwell?
Reg Attwell was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Reg Attwell. https://biography.guide/reg-attwell/
MLA: "Reg Attwell." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/reg-attwell/.
Chicago: "Reg Attwell." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/reg-attwell/.
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