Harold Pearson made his debut in December 1927, in a Division Two match against South Shields. In 1930–31 he helped the club to achieve promotion to the First Division and played in the 1931 FA Cup Final, in which Albion beat Birmingham 2–1. In 1932 he earned his only cap for England, marking the occasion with a clean sheet in a 3–0 win over Scotland at Wembley Stadium.