A boilermaker by trade, Alf Andrews moved to the Southampton area during the First World War, to work in the shipyards of Harland & Wolff. His impressive performances in the work’s team that won the South Hants War league in 1918-19 earned him a contract at The Dell in August 1919. By November he had forced his way into the first team at right-half, but

his professional career was cut short when he broke his leg after just 12 minutes, “attempting a fierce tackle”

in a FA Cup-tie at West Ham. Released in May 1920, he continued to work in the dockyards and settled locally. He featured in the Hants League for Harland & Wolff where – according to a match report in the Football Echo – by using his “height and weight” he was deemed an asset. In the 1939 war registration exercise carried out by the government he was listed as still being involved in the ship building industry in Southampton.