Alfie Bates

Alfie Bates
Bates in July 2025
Personal information
Full name Alfie Bates
Date of birth (2001-05-03) 3 May 2001 (age 25)
Place of birth Coventry, England
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Drogheda United
Number 15
Youth career
Coundon Court Juniors
2008 Coventry City
2008–2016 Birmingham City
2017–2018 Walsall
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2022 Walsall 49 (1)
2022 SJK 13 (0)
2022 SJK Akatemia 1 (0)
2023–2025 Brackley Town 89 (5)
2025–2026 Tamworth 37 (1)
2026– Drogheda United 5 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:08, 4 September 2025 (UTC)

Alfie Bates (born 3 May 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League of Ireland Premier Division club Drogheda United.

Career

Bates was born in Coventry and joined the Academy at Coventry City at the age of seven after leaving Coundon Court Juniors. He went on to endure a difficult start to his career, losing his mother to cancer in 2013 and then being released by Birmingham City at the age of 15. He signed for Walsall in March 2017 and scored on his youth-team debut against Morecambe, before featuring in 28 under-18 and six Development Squad matches during the 2017–18 season. He made his first-team debut for the "Saddlers" on 9 October 2018, in a 3–1 victory over Middlesbrough U21 in an EFL Trophy group stage match at the Bescot Stadium.

On 23 February 2022, Bates joined Veikkausliiga club SJK on a long-term deal. In December 2022, he terminated his contract in order to return to England. On 12 January 2023, Bates joined National League North side Brackley Town.

In June 2025, Bates joined National League side Tamworth.

On 24 July 2026, Bates signed for League of Ireland Premier Division club Drogheda United until the end of their season in November.

Career statistics

As of match played on 4 September 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Walsall 2018–19 League One 0000002020
2019–20 League Two 131311040212
2020–21 360101030410
2021–22 0000004040
Total 4914120130682
SJK 2022 Veikkausliiga 130002020170
SJK Akatemia 2022 Ykkönen 1000—0010
Brackley Town 2022–23 National League North 16200—30192
2023–24 31230—10352
2024–25 42160—10491
Total 8959000501035
Tamworth 2025–26 National League 371104100422
Drogheda United 2026 LOI Premier Division 5020——70
Career total 1947161812002389
  1. 1 2 3 4 Appearances in EFL Trophy
  2. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  3. 1 2 Appearance(s) in National League North play-offs
  4. ↑ Appearance(s) in FA Trophy

Honours

Brackley Town:

References

  1. ↑ "Notification of shirt numbers: Walsall" (PDF). English Football League. p. 74. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  2. ↑ Turner, Andy (10 November 2018). "The Sky Blues fan striving for a career with Walsall". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  3. ↑ "Alfie Bates - Midfielder - Youth Team - Walsall FC". www.saddlers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  4. ↑ "Checkatrade Trophy (Sky Sports)". SkySports. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  5. ↑ "Alfie Bates Walsall FC:sta SJK-paitaan" (in Finnish). Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "Alfie Bates palaa takaisin Englantiin" (in Finnish). Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  7. ↑ "NEW SIGNING: BRACKLEY TOWN SWOOP FOR ALFIE BATES". Brackley Town F.C. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  8. ↑ @tamworthfc (27 June 2025). "Tamworth Football Club are delighted to announce the signing of Alfie Bates on a permanent basis after leaving Brackley Town FC earlier this month. 🖊️" (Tweet). Retrieved 27 June 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  9. ↑ https://www.droghedaunited.ie/news/2026/july/24/alfie-bates/
  10. ↑ "Games played by Alfie Bates in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  11. ↑ "Games played by Alfie Bates in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  12. ↑ "Games played by Alfie Bates in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  13. ↑ "Alfie Bates | Football Stats | Walsall | Season 2021/2022 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Alfie Bates at Soccerway
  15. ↑ "Brackley delighted by 'extraordinary' promotion". BBC Sport. 26 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.