Player #408 for Aston Villa, Albert Vinall played as a full back for the club between 1947-48 and 1953-54 making 11 appearances and scoring once.

As a youngster, Albert appeared as an amateur for the Villa thirds at the start of the then abandoned 1939 season. Albert would not grace Villa during War time football however after his demobilisation he returned to Villa and signed his professional forms. Joining Villa’s Central League reserve side, Albert performed at both full back and centre half before making his first team bow in 1947-48.

Albert would score his only goal for the club in his debut season - hitting a shot from the half way line against Derby County, just as Stiliyan Petrov would do six decades later.

The younger brother of the then Walsall player coach Ted Vinall - who was also on Villa’s books for a time - Albert had arrived at Villa Park before the War on a trial but eventually chose to join the ground staff of Norwich City before finally Villa acquired him ahead of the 1946-47 season.

Albert served in the Royal Navy during the war and played for a Combined Services side in representative games in the Middle East.

Sure in his tackling and strong in his kicking, whether at full back or centre half, Albert proved a first rate defender for the first team but despite a long career with the club his appearances were few and far between despite his qualities.

Albert was born in Hockley, Birmingham, less than 3 miles from Villa Park, on 6 March 1922 and made his debut appearance for Villa on Friday, 26 March 1948 at the age of 26.

Villa had signed Albert from Southampton in July 1946 but had to wait 2 years after the resumption of football in England following WW2 to make his debut and he went on to appear 5 times in that season, scoring his only goal for the club.

Albert then disappeared from first team view for the next four seasons, returning to make 3 appearances in 1952-53 and a further 2 the following season.

Albert made his final appearance for the club on Friday, 1 January 1954 at the age of 31 before moving on to Walsall in August 1954.

Albert did however return to Villa between 1959 and 1961 to serve as a club scout.

Albert passed away in Birmingham in September 1999 aged 77.