Liverpool born Harry Welfare started his career with Northern Nomads F.C. After getting 35 goals in a season he signed as an amateur for Liverpool, making his debut in 1913, scoring one goal in his 4 first team appearances. He was a centre forward, an impressive 1.91 m (6 ft 3) and was renowned for his vigorous charges on goalkeepers.
In July 1913 Welfare moved to Rio de Janeiro in order to become a teacher at an Anglo-Brazilian boarding school. One of his teaching colleagues, J.A. Quincey-Taylor had connections with the rather swanky Fluminense Football Club.
Welfare soon joined Fluminense and made his debut in Brazil for a Rio select XI against Corinthians (England), on their second tour of Brazil. He was one of the goalscorers as Corinthians suffered their only defeat of the 6 match tour.
In 1914 Welfare topped the scoring in the Campeonato Carioca. The Liga Metropolitana questioned his amateur status, and Liverpool provided a testimony that he had never been a professional in England.
Welfare scored 163 goals in 166 matches for Fluminense ( third leading scorer in the club's history), winning the Campeonato Carioca 4 times (1917, 1918, 1919, 1924). In 1927, aged 37, Welfare joined Vasco da Gama, a club that occupied the opposite end of Rio football's social scale, being traditionally associated with poor working class and black players. He moved into coaching, and led Vasco on a tour of Spain , where two of the black players (Fausto and Jaguaré) were taken on by Barcelona.
Welfare enjoyed ongoing success as manager of Vasco as Brazilian football moved into the professional era.
Welfare enjoyed ongoing success as manager of Vasco as Brazilian football moved into the professional era.
