Henry Welfare

Henry Welfare
Personal information
Full name	Henry Welfare
Date of birth	20 August 1888
Place of birth	Liverpool, England
Date of death	1 September 1966 (aged 78)
Place of death	Angra dos Reis, Brazil
Position	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team
1906–1912	Northern Nomads
1912–1913	Liverpool
1913	Tranmere Rovers
1913–1924	Fluminense
	* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Henry Welfare (20 August 1888 – 1 September 1966) was an English footballer and teacher who lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is recognized for his time as a Fluminense player and as a Vasco da Gama coach.

Early life

Welfare was a schoolteacher in the Anfield area of Liverpool, England.^[1] He played for Liverpool F.C. as an amateur footballer.^[1]

Playing career

He arrived at Rio de Janeiro on 9 August 1913 to work as an English teacher on the Anglo-Brazilian Gym. Soon after, he started to play football for the Fluminense. He did wonders as a striker in his first training session and was quickly invited to join the squad. With Fluminense, he held the extraordinary record of almost a goal per game, scoring 163 goals in 166 games. Welfare ended his career after scoring the winning goal for Fluminense against Botafogo, in 1924. He played with Fluminense for 10 years, up to 1923.

For his loyal service to the club, he was elected a "Member For Life" of the Fluminense's deliberative council.

Managerial career

In 1926, Welfare was called to coach the Vasco da Gama's football team. In command, he won the Campeonato Carioca in 1929, 1934 and 1936. In 1937, he left the club, but returned in two quick spells in the 1940s. He holds the record for the coach who led Vasco da Gama for the most consecutive days, with 3,850 days in his first spell.