Street to be named after Alf Patrick at former home of York City FC
19 December 2022
One of the streets at the new Bootham Crescent development will be named Alf Patrick Court.
Following submissions put forward by fans of the club, Persimmon has had the proposal formally approved by City of York Council and Royal Mail.
A York native, Alf Patrick signed for City in 1946 after serving with the Royal Engineers during the war.
After making his debut at the age of 25, Alf went on to net a career total of 117 goals in only 241 appearances and was leading scorer in each of the first four post-war seasons. He is the only City player to score five goals in a Football League fixture (against Rotherham in November 1948), and shares the club record of six hat-tricks. Added to this, he was the first forward to score a century of League goals for the club in peacetime, reaching the milestone against Grimsby Town in April 1952.
Many of Alf’s goal-scoring feats remain unsurpassed and his unassuming personality ensured he remained a welcome visitor to Bootham Crescent long after he hung up his boots.
He retired from football in 1955 and spent some time helping with the third team which competed in the Yorkshire League. Patrick was also a keen local cricketer, playing for Dringhouses, and was an active member of his community in Woodthorpe throughout a long and happy retirement.
A remarkable man, Alf reached a century of years before passing away shortly after reaching the landmark. A minute’s applause was held during York’s FA Cup tie against Buxton in November 2021.
Steve Patrick, son of Alf said: “I think fans really appreciated the effort and enthusiasm my dad put into playing.
“He always said, if you don’t shoot you don’t score, and is probably best remembered for his five goals against Rotherham.
“I remember him taking me to matches through the players’ and officials entrance before going into the enclosure to watch him play. I know he would be proud as punch that his name lives on at Bootham Crescent for generations to come.”
Find out more about Persimmon's Bootham Crescent development here.
