What's the oldest a player has started playing professional football...

[flammableBen]

He's still playing now isn't he?

[Fred Elliot]

Wasn't stanley matthews 86 when he signed for stoke?

91

[suttonred]

I believe he's oxfords right back now, lost a bit of pace after his 110th. But still far too good for them.

[Anteater]

Socrates ?

[Dazzza]

Andy Cunningham - Newcastle 1929 aged 39 fuck knows what league the stripey tarts were in that year though.

Good link here although it includes Johnny foreigners making their English league debut.

http://www.allfootballers.com/statsc.php?bid=oldestld

[Reg Smeeton]

Socrates ?

 Good shout he'd have been about 2500 years old.  Mozart was turning out for Spartak Moscow until recently...he'd be a spring chicken at 200 and a bit.

[Dazzza]

off topic but did anyone know about Frank Wong Soo (cracking name) the first "non-white" player to play for England?

Frank Wong Soo was the first player of Chinese extraction to play for England. Indeed, Frank was the first non-white player of any ethnic background to present England long before Viv Anderson, the first “official” black player, made his debut for England in 1979.   Frank was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, in 1914 and was the son of a Chinese father and an English mother.  He was one of the best inside forwards of the immediate pre-war era, certainly during his time at Stoke City, where he formed part of a legendary team that included players such as Sir Stanley Matthews and Neil Franklin. This famous trio played together in the England team that faced Scotland at Villa Park on 3rd February 1945.

[Dazzza]

Couple more:

Paul Wilson Scunny debut in 97/98 at 37 was the team's youth team coach!

Oldest player for to debut for England anyone?

[Rich Pullen]

Leslie Compton (post-war)

[Reg Smeeton]

off topic but did anyone know about Frank Wong Soo (cracking name) the first "non-white" player to play for England?

Frank Wong Soo was the first player of Chinese extraction to play for England. Indeed, Frank was the first non-white player of any ethnic background to present England long before Viv Anderson, the first “official” black player, made his debut for England in 1979.   Frank was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, in 1914 and was the son of a Chinese father and an English mother.  He was one of the best inside forwards of the immediate pre-war era, certainly during his time at Stoke City, where he formed part of a legendary team that included players such as Sir Stanley Matthews and Neil Franklin. This famous trio played together in the England team that faced Scotland at Villa Park on 3rd February 1945.

 Yep.

 A similar fella was Sammy Chung, an Abingdonian who overcome the misfortune of a handful of non league games for Headington in the 50's to forge a decent career for himself as  both a player and manager.

[Batch]

Roger Miller was allegedly 42 when he scored a goal v Russia in the World Cup finals.

Not that this remotely answers the original question.

[suttonred]

He must have been older than that, i remember him singing on the des o connor show in the 70's the old beardy fucker.

[adje]

He must have been older than that, i remember him singing on the des o connor show in the 70's the old beardy fucker.

Altogether-"I'm gonna leave old Durham Town..."

[suttonred]

I'm slurring along.

[leefer]

http://www.allfootballers.com/statsc.php?bid=oldest1stmatch