A 15ct. gold & enamel Aston Villa 1898-99 League Championship medal won by Albert Evans, enamelled with the Aston Villa crest and motto, inscribed AST

A 15ct. gold & enamel Aston Villa 1898-99 League Championship medal won by Albert Evans, enamelled with the Aston Villa crest and motto, inscribed ASTON VILLA F.C., LEAGUE CHAMPIONS, 1899, A.J. EVANS, 1898-9, in original fitted case of issue by Vaughton's of Birmingham, the lid inscribed ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB, LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 1898-9 Albert Evans was born at Barnard Castle 18th March 1874. While playing as a full-back non-League football Evans was discovered by the Aston Villa player Robert Chatt, also from Barnard Castle. Villa signed Evans in August 1896 and soon established himself as a first team player Evans played in 29 games during Villa's 1898-99 Championship winning season when they finished ahead of Liverpool. Evans's career was plagued with injuries including leg breaks on four occasions, the final one forcing his retirement from professional football. A fifth break occurred in an appearance in a charity match raising money during the Great War in 1915. Albert Evans later coached in Norway which led to an appointment as manager of Coventry City in 1920. After his sacking in 1924 he left football and did a variety of other occupations around the world including gold prospecting in Yukon and sheep farming in Canada. When he returned to England in 1950, Aston Villa invited him to join their training staff where he stayed until 1956. Albert Evans died in Warwick on 24th March 1966.