[1] Born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Midgley became a teacher and worked in Culham, Oxford and Ripon before being appointed as head at Grant's School, Burnley in the late 1870s.
As early as 1880 at Carlton Road School he had children playing Association Football.
He made his League debut, playing as an inside–forward on 20 October 1888 at Victoria Ground the then home of Stoke.
Also Midgeley's appearance was historic as he was approximately (his birthdate in 1856 is unknown) 34 years and 112 days old.
[5] This biographical article related to association football in England, about a forward born in the 1850s, is a stub.