Played for Villa: 1935-1946
Position: Forward
Appearances: 151
Broome was spotted in his late-teens, playing amateur football for his local side, Berkhamsted Town. His small stature was a concern, but when offered a trial for Villa he proceeded to score a double hat-trick, and so his destiny was sealed. He played his first game for Villa in April 1935 and scored twice on his home debut against Liverpool the following Saturday. He became a regular following the club's relegation in 1936, and wearing the celebrated number 9 shirt, banged in 55 goals in two seasons. In seven days during March 1936 he came within a whisker of becoming the first man to score three successive hat-tricks, bagging three, two and three, against Blackpool, Newcastle and Blackburn. Broome was almost as prolific back in the 1st Division, hitting 16 in 1938-1939, this period also seeing him make an England debut, in which he scored against Germany in an infamous match in 1938. After war broke out, he played and scored many times for Villa, and was in the first team when normal service resumed, bagging a hat-trick in the 9-1 demolition of Millwall in the FA Cup in January 1946. The opening day of the 1946-1947 season saw him play his last game for the club. His final tally for the claret and blues was 90 goals in 151 appearances, and there is no doubt he would have achieved far more had war not interrupted his playing career. He is nonetheless saluted in Villa's history books as one of the pivotal figures of the club's pre-War recovery and went on to become a top striker for both Derby and Notts County in the years that followed. He also tried his hand at football management before quitting the game entirely in 1969.
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Position: Forward
Appearances: 151
Broome was spotted in his late-teens, playing amateur football for his local side, Berkhamsted Town. His small stature was a concern, but when offered a trial for Villa he proceeded to score a double hat-trick, and so his destiny was sealed. He played his first game for Villa in April 1935 and scored twice on his home debut against Liverpool the following Saturday. He became a regular following the club's relegation in 1936, and wearing the celebrated number 9 shirt, banged in 55 goals in two seasons. In seven days during March 1936 he came within a whisker of becoming the first man to score three successive hat-tricks, bagging three, two and three, against Blackpool, Newcastle and Blackburn. Broome was almost as prolific back in the 1st Division, hitting 16 in 1938-1939, this period also seeing him make an England debut, in which he scored against Germany in an infamous match in 1938. After war broke out, he played and scored many times for Villa, and was in the first team when normal service resumed, bagging a hat-trick in the 9-1 demolition of Millwall in the FA Cup in January 1946. The opening day of the 1946-1947 season saw him play his last game for the club. His final tally for the claret and blues was 90 goals in 151 appearances, and there is no doubt he would have achieved far more had war not interrupted his playing career. He is nonetheless saluted in Villa's history books as one of the pivotal figures of the club's pre-War recovery and went on to become a top striker for both Derby and Notts County in the years that followed. He also tried his hand at football management before quitting the game entirely in 1969.
WIKIPEDIA ENTRY