Before emigrating to New Zealand he had played football with Everton and Wigan Borough, both in Lancashire.
Spencer was part of Tramways Chatham Cup winning team, helping the club gain their first title in 1929.
[3][4]: 68 Spencer would win the cup again in 1931, playing for Tramurewa, which was a recent merger of Tramways with another club called Manurewa.
[5][6] Spencer played two official A-international matches for the All Whites in 1927, both against a touring Canadian side.
The first was a 2–2 draw on 25 June 1927[7][8] and the second was a 1–2 loss on 2 July, with Spencer scoring New Zealand's goal.