Background
Littlehales was born in Wellington, Shropshire and started his football career with Wolverhampton Wanderers, before joining Stoke in August 1892.
Littlehales was born in Wellington, Shropshire and started his football career with Wolverhampton Wanderers, before joining Stoke in August 1892.
On 26 April 1893, he was part of the Stoke team which visited the County Ground to play a friendly match against Street Mary"son Despite the result, it was reported that the spectators "thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition" and looked forward to witnessing "more matches of a similar character" in future. Also playing for Stoke were Charles Baker, Lachie Thomson and Willie Naughton, all of whom were to move to within two years.
Foreign the start of their League career, Saints signed several new players on professional contracts, including Baker, Littlehales and Thomson from Stoke and Fred Hollands from Millwall.
Prior to the start of the new season, Littlehales was interviewed by the local sporting weekly, "Southern Referee" — although he confessed to knowing little "from actual experience" about any of the Southern League opponents, he did not "expect to lose much. Not down here at any rate.
I"m certain we shall make them all go". He made his debut in their inaugural Southern League match, a 3–1 victory over Chatham played at the Antelope Ground on 6 October 1894.
Described as "clever on the ball and the owner of a hard shot", Littlehales was ever-present in the League as Saints finished the 1894-1895 season in third place.
In the, Saints reached the First Round proper for the first time, where they were drawn against Nottingham Forest, going down 4–1 to the Football League First Division side. In the 1895-1896 season, Littlehales missed only one League match, scoring four goals with Saints again finishing in third place. Littlehales missed three matches at the start of the 1896-1897 season, with Harry Haynes taking over.
He returned on 7 November, playing at centre-forward, scoring twice in an 8–3 victory over New Brompton.
He retained his place for the rest of the season, scoring five goals as the Saints claimed the Southern League title for the first of six occasions over the next eight years. Littlehales" final match for the Saints came in the first match of the 1897-1898 season, a 2–0 defeat at Tottenham, following which he lost his place to new signing Arthur Chadwick.
In January 1898, he was rewarded with a benefit match against Eastleigh and retired at the end of the season. Following his retirement, he settled in the Bevois Town area of and died in the city on 18 November 1942.
