Name: Henry "Harry" Welfare
Nickname: "O Tanque Inglês", "O Tanque Tricolor"
Country:
EnglandClub: Fluminense
Shirt Number: -
Position: ★CF
Side: RF/BS
Age: 26-31 years (20/08/1888 ✝ 01/09/1968)
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 85 kg
Attack: 85
Defence: 24
Balance: 89
Stamina: 71
Top Speed: 74
Acceleration: 72
Response: 86
Agility: 70
Dribble Accuracy: 77
Dribble Speed: 68
Short Pass Accuracy: 74
Short Pass Speed: 72
Long Pass Accuracy: 67
Long Pass Speed: 66
Shot Accuracy: 86
Shot Power: 90
Shot Technique: 78
Free Kick Accuracy: 70
Swerve: 63
Heading: 85
Jump: 78
Technique: 74
Aggression: 90
Mentality: 85
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team work: 76
Injury Tolerance: A
Condition/Fitness: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 6
Weak Foot Frequency: 7
Consistency: 7
Growth type: Standard
CARDS:
P19 - Fox In The Box
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Scoring - Post Player - Centre
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Attack-Minded
INFO:
Henry Welfare was an English footballer who played as a centre-forward. Born in Wavertree, Liverpool (20/08/1888), he began his career in the amateur ranks of local clubs like St. Helens Recreation and Southport Central before finding prolific form with Northern Nomads between 1906 and 1912, where he scored 119 goals in 114 games. His senior breakthrough came at Liverpool F.C., where he made his First Division debut on 15/02/1913 against Sheffield Wednesday. He scored his only league goal for the club against Derby County on 01/03/1913, finishing his brief spell with 1 goal in 4 appearances. In August 1913, Welfare moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to work as a geography and mathematics teacher at the Gymnasio Anglo-Brasileiro. Soon after his arrival, he joined Fluminense F.C., dominating the amateur era of Brazilian football. He played for Fluminense until 1924, boasting an extraordinary scoring record of 163 goals in 166 official matches. Welfare helped the club secure four Campeonato Carioca titles, including a famous three-peat in 1917, 1918, and 1919, finishing as the league's top scorer in 1914 (9 goals) and 1915 (19 goals).
Despite being deeply loyal to Fluminense, his amateur status allowed him to turn out as a guest player for local rivals Flamengo during an interstate tour of Belém do Pará between December 1915 and January 1916, where he scored 7 goals in 4 matches. He ultimately retired as a player in fitting fashion, scoring the winning goal against Botafogo in 1924. Though he never represented the England national team, Welfare was a frequent and celebrated feature for the Seleção Carioca between 1916 and 1924. He remained strictly an amateur throughout his playing days, an adherence that prompted Liverpool's secretary to issue an official statement to Brazilian league authorities confirming he had never played professionally, effectively appeasing challenges to his status as the sport evolved. On the field, Welfare was known as an imposing, highly intelligent, and direct center-forward. Standing at 1.90 meters tall, he earned his "Tanque" moniker through his formidable physical strength, using his weight to overpower defenders while maintaining excellent positional sense, a relentless work rate, and a powerful heading ability. Welfare is remembered as a pioneering giant who seamlessly bridged the English origins of the game with its flourishing, passionate evolution in Rio de Janeiro.
Spoiler: show
Northern Nomads F.C. (1906 - 1912) - 114 games, 119 goals.
Liverpool F.C. (1912 - 1913) - 4 games, 1 goal.
Tranmere Rovers F.C. (1913) - 8 games, 8 goals.
Fluminense F.C. (1913 - 1924) - 166 games, 163 goals.
C.R. Flamengo (1915 - 1916) - 4 games, 7 goals.