Background
Pearson was born in Crewe, Cheshire and joined Crewe Alexandra in the summer of 1881 at the age of 13.
Pearson was born in Crewe, Cheshire and joined Crewe Alexandra in the summer of 1881 at the age of 13.
He later had a successful career as a referee, taking charge of the 1911 Final as well as refereeing international matches. The club had only been formed a few years earlier and at that time only played "friendlies" and Cup matches. While still playing in the Football Alliance, Pearson was one of five new caps called up for the England team to play Ireland on 5 March 1892.
Pearson played at inside-right with fellow débutante Charlie Athersmith of Aston Villa alongside him at outside-right.
The match was played at the Solitude ground, Belfast with England winning 2–0, both goals from Harry Daft of N ottinghamshire County. This remains the only full international appearance by a Crewe Alexandra player.
During Crewe"s first season in the Football League, injury restricted Pearson to only 12 league appearances from which he scored twice as the club finished the season in tenth place. Pearson only managed two matches in the following season, scoring once, before injury forced him to retire.
Pearson also refereed internationally, including the third-place match at the 1908 Olympics in London between Netherlands and Sweden.
He continued to referee international matches up to the start of World War I, including a match between Netherlands and Belgium on 26 April 1914. His full-time employment was with the London and North Western Railway, which became part of the Learning Management System in 1923. He retired in 1930, and died the following year aged 63.