W.R. Pead - Arthur's team-mate

Given my recent digging around in Conan Doyle's rugby life, and my scouring of newspapers for traces of Doyle in Southsea, I was pleased to find this reference to Doyle in a 1942 Portsmouth obituary. 

Mr. W.R. Pead was said to have played football and rugby with Doyle - the latter is interesting because Doyle played some rugby in Edinburgh but I'm not sure about rugby. 

Portsmouth Evening News - Thursday 26 February 1942

Funeral of Mr. W.R. Pead

Mr. William Rance Pead (74), 21 Avondale Road, waterlooville, formerly living at Kingston Crescent, North End for 30 years, was buried yesterday at Waterlooville. The funeral service took place at St. George’s Church and the interment at Hulbert Road cemetery, the Rev. T. W. Kirkbride officiating. 

Private mourners were: Mrs. Pead (widow), Pilot Otlicer B. Pead and Mr. R. Pead (sons), Mrs. P. Restall (daughter), Mr. H. J. and H. Pead (sisters-in-law), Messrs. B. and C. Sprigings, S. E. Borrow, J. Walmesley. J. Harvey, and S. Gray (friends). For nearly 50 years Mr. Pead was a builders’ foreman and clerk of works. He was employed by Messrs. E. and A. Sprigings for 30 years, Portsmouth Corporation eight years, and with Mr. J. Walmesley (architect) nine years. 

Mr. Pead was strongly opposed to the demolition the Guildhall, considering the building fit for reconstruction, was also well-known as a botanist and was Secretary to Portsmouth Natural Science Society, which preceded Portsmouth Literary and Philosophical Society, of which he was a founder and a past vice-president. As a youth Mr. Pead was a team mate of the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, when both played for Portsmouth North End Football and Cricket Club and the Albion Rugby Club. For a brief period Mr. Pead was manager of the Empire Cinema, Slamshaw. Two sons and a daughter are school teachers in the City. His eldest eon. also a schoolmaster, died two years ago. 

Certainly newspaper reports suggest Paed played cricket with Doyle, and Doyle refereed football matches also - so they likely did interact. The Albion Rugby Club may be mis-remembering - it was based in Plymouth. In fact, Paed played with Albion Football Club in Portsmouth... as much as I'd like to have discovered that Doyle's rugby career kicked on.

Were there other obituaries from the 1930s and 1940s of old Southsea connections?