Footballers died

[Jonathan D'Hooghe]

Mystery solved! I assume he had not appeared on any of your lists before?

J

[Jonathan Saunders]

He hadn't. I googled him when I saw your post. Thanks very much!

Jonathan S

[tonyblackpool]

memorial to be opened soon in LONGUEVAL,

[tonyblackpool]

memorial to be opened soon in LONGUEVAL,

[tonyblackpool]

memorial AGAIN

[tonyblackpool]

mystery solved

[Ribble]

I would be very intersted (and grateful) to hear from any forum members who have information or leads on Blackpool FC players or officials who served/died in WW1.

Thanks in advance.

[Harry20]

Kirkintilloch, Dumbartonshire, Scotland lost at least two of its own who were professional footballers;

the best known was Robert "Bob" Torrance one of I think 8 Scots who played in the 1911 English FA Cup Final (replay) when Bradford beat Newcastle Utd 1-0. Torrance was named as man of the match. The goalscorer was fellow Scot Jimmy Spiers (see earlier post). Apparently it was learning of Spiers' death in action that made Torrance join up. He was seriously wounded on 24 April 1918 serving as 222389 Gunner with A Battery 162nd Brigade. He apparently lost an arm and was being treated in a field hospital which received a direct hit. His body has not knowingly been recovered and he is listed on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

In all 9 of the Bradford lads were lost - see the bantampast website for more details.

Torrance, who was born in Kirkintilloch, signed for Bradford for £5 in 1907 having started with the (long defunct) junior team Kirkintilloch Harp (according to Wikipedia), or Kirkintilloch Rob Roy (according to their web site - club founded 1878 and still going strong "Away the Rabs!" ). He is listed on the Kirkintilloch War Memorial.

Also listed there is 193436 Driver Archibald Campbell, another native of Kirkie, of the Royal Field Artillery who died of wounds on 14 September 1918. The announcement of his death in the Kikrintilloch Herald (which suggests a death date of 21 September) states that he was a tailor by trade and started his football playing career with Kirkintilloch Rob Roy before a professional career which included spells at Clyde, Carlisle United, Ayr United and Albion Rovers.

Campbell's details are listed in the Order of Service of the (fifth) Divine Service held in Kirkintilloch Parish Church on Sabbath 29 June 1919. The first of these services was held on 25 July 1915 and the sixth and final one on 12 November 1922, "in commemmoration of the Parishioners of Kirkintilloch who laid down their lives fo rtheir country in the great war". Robert Torrance's name does not appear in any of these Service programmes.

Cowgate

[andalucia]

Not sure if he has been mentioned. A manager.

Tom McIntosh has the honour of taking Middlesboro to their highest ever league position, third in the 1913-14 season. McIntosh's spell as manager was interrupted by WWI after only two seasons, he returned after the war for a short while before a move to Everton.

At Everton he was most famous for spotting and signing Dixie Dean. Under McIntosh's guidance Everton won the FA Cup and Football League Championship. He died from cancer in October 1935, and was eventually replaced as secretary manager at Everton by Theo Kelly.

Tom Joined the 12th Service Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment, Known as The Teeside Pioneers. Before long he was promoted to company Quarter Master Sergeant. In January 1916 Tom,s company landed in France. He later recieve his commission becoming a 2nd Lieutenant and was mentioned in despatches twice.

[unitedsound]

Four Glasgow Rangers players were killed in the Great War.

David Murray (6 October 1915), John Fleming (21 March 1916), James Speirs (20 August 1917) and Walter Tull (25 March 1918).

Detail of the club's involvement in both World Wars is worth reading at this link.

http://www.followfol...070/index.shtml

[Glesga Highlander]

I think you will find that Walter Daniel Tull never actually signed for the club as he was commissioned from Gailes before he was due to play for the club. I am not aware that he received a Military Cross either although it is thought that he was recommended for one for his actions crossing the River Piave.

[Glesga Highlander]

The full Roll of Honour for Queen's Park Football Club, with the names of members who served, those who lost their lives in this World's War, or were wounded, and also of those who received honours in the various campaigns, is appended :—

[Glesga Highlander]

continued..

QUEEN'S PARK F.C. MEMORIAL SERVICE

In Queen's Park East U.F. Church, Crosshill, on Sunday afternoon, 23rd March, 1919, a memorial service for the members and players of Queen's Park Football Club who had fallen in the war, was conducted by Colonel the Rev. J. Golder Burns, B.D., chaplain to the Forces. There was a large attendance of members of the club, many of them in uniform, and of the general public. In front of the pulpit was hung a Union Jack, with a laurel wreath, and underneath, a flag bearing the badge and initials of the club in black on a white ground. In his address, the Rev. Mr. Burns mentioned that no fewer than 216 members had gone on Service, and that many honours had been won. He gave some of his own experiences of four years on service, and afterwards, dealing with the origin of the war, said that it was the result of a wicked conspiracy, of which he heard a good deal when studying in Germany twenty years ago. He outlined the aims of Great Britain in entering the war, and said that they had been completely fulfilled. The British Army had saved Belgium and France. Had any one of the Allies stood out, the war might have been won, but without the British Army it would have been lost in the first six months. The reverend gentleman read the club's Roll of Honour, the congregation standing. The roll contained the names of twenty-seven officers and men, members of the club, who had lost their lives in the war. After the benediction and Seven-Fold Amen, the Dead March in "Saul" was played, the "Last Post" sounded, and the congregation joined in singing the National Anthem.

[Jonathan Saunders]

The full Roll of Honour for Queen's Park Football Club, with the names of members who served, those who lost their lives in this World's War, or were wounded, and also of those who received honours in the various campaigns, is appended :—

A lengthy list of service. Do you know which of these names relate to players?

Regards,

Jonathan S

[Lachlan]

As Malcolm said, Heart of Midlothian FC have had a memorial at Haymarket, Edinburgh since the 1920's. Every 11^th November, the current Hearts playing squad and staff, plus fans, pay homage to the fallen. Today that means Scottish, English, Irish, Australian plus Spanish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovakian, Moroccan and Ugandan players. A monumental cairn was erected in 2004, through donations from fans, well-wishers and the club, at Contalmaison on the site of the Somme battlefield, to commemorate particularly those players, ticket-holders, fans and staff who fell with 16^th Btn Royal Scots, 34^th Division, on 1^st July 1916, plus 15^th RS.

Hearts had 7 players died in the war :-

19024 Cpl Tom Gracie (16^th RS) - 23/10/15 - Glasgow

S/116102 Pte James Hodge Speedie (7th Q O Cameron Highlanders) - 25/9/15 -Loos

19112 Pte Henry Wattie (16^th RS) 1/7/16 - Somme

18999 Sjt Duncan Currie (16^th RS) 1/7/16 - Somme

19009 Pte Edgar Ernest Ellis (16^th RS) ) 1/7/16 - Somme

18976 L/Cpl James Boyd (16^th RS) - 3/8/16 - Somme

351268 L/Cpl John Allan (9th RS) - 22/4/17 Arras

Hearts Players with 16^th Royal Scots who were seriously wounded, some didn't return to football after the war :-

Pte. Patrick James 'Paddy' Crossan. wounded at the Somme and later gassed. Nearly had his leg amputated.

Pte. Willie R. Wilson. Injured shoulder.

Lieutenant A.B. Ness. Twice wounded.

Wattie Scott. Rheumatic fever.

Pte. J. Hazeldean. Severely wounded by an explosive bullet in his thigh.

Cpl Alfie Briggs. Recovered from wounds but never played again. Died in 1950 still with two machine gun bullets in his back.

Pte. E. M. M'Guire. Wounded in arm

Pte. Jock Wilson. Twice wounded, returned to the Hearts side after the war.

Hearts players wounded in other regiments:-

Sgnt N. Moreland. 8th HLI. Three times wounded.

Pte. J. Martin. Wounded.

Lieutenant Jimmy Low. Seaforth Hldrs. Twice wounded.

Gunner Robert Mercer. gassed at the Somme.

[pap]

Serjeant David Glen 16611, 13th Bn, Royal Scots , died 9/4/1917 played Brechin Hearts and Brechin City, Dundee and Millwall,

[phil1963]

Re the C Green of Millwall killed - I have it reliable authority that the one in the Machine Gun Corps KIA in 1917 was living in Peckham, enrolled in Camberwell and was born in Peckham - that is a good bet too. There is a C Green on the war memorial at Surrey Cricket Club at The Oval - might he have played for Millwall and Surrey?

[Steve Newman]

Phil,

I cannot see a C Green in the football league players records which is suprising. i will though look on my database of players and see if he shows up cross referenced from any other sources. Be good to positively ID him

Steve

[Stephen Nulty]

Edwin Neve on my site at http://www.prescot-rollofhonour.info/casualty-241-Edwin_Neve.html played for Hull, Derby County and Nottingham Forest

[AGWR]

Phil,

I cannot see a C Green in the football league players records which is suprising. i will though look on my database of players and see if he shows up cross referenced from any other sources. Be good to positively ID him

Steve

He wouldn't appear in the Football League records because Millwall were a Southern League club in those days. In any event, I do not think that he ever made a first team appearance for Millwall. He did, however, make at least ten appearances for Millwall in the wartime leagues - London Combination (Principal Tournament) and the London Combination (Supplementary Tournament) in the 1915-16 and 1916-17 seasons. I think that his first appearance was on 6 Nov 1915 in a 3-2 victory against Spurs and his last appearance was in a 3-3 draw, also against Spurs, on 23 Dec 1916. On 25 Dec 1915 he scored the only goal of the game in a match against Crystal Palace.

Regards,

AGWR

[snakey]

Hello,

Can you please tell me where your information about Frank Burton

came from I am his granddaughter and I am doing family research If you could let me know I would relly appreciate it Thanks

Several other greats from Charlton were wounded in action, worthy of metion

Frank "Bronco" Burton, who stood over 6 foot tall, was a mexican born full-back signed from the Hammers

who served as Sgt F Burton GS/47737 in the Royal Fusiliers, first with the 23rd Sportsmans then to the 1st Battalion. He served at Ypres, Somme and Cambrai and was wounded 6 times and awarded the Croix de Guerre. He then went onto play 107 times for Charlton !

With Charlton recently enjoying a series of Centenery events celebrating its sporting icons it is worth remembering those that put aside their sport to serve their country.

The last photo is from one of our recent "Soccer on the Somme" Trips, a game or two of five a side, and the battlefields,,

Ps I am actually a Hammers fan, but the article is well worth the input !

[Derek Black]

The CWGC site currently has a feature on 'Football in War' with a section on Tottenham Hotspur' saying the players & staff all joined No 1 Section, 22nd Field Company, Royal Engineers.

It quotes the Club Handbook after the War which gave the names of 11 men associated with the Club who died (so including staff & former players), although some or most of these men were with other regiments when they died:-

John B Fleming (d. 21.3.16)

J Jarvie

Alf Hobday

J Hebdon

Edward J Lightfoot (listed on CWGC as JE Lightfoot; d. 20.7.18)

WHD Lloyd

A MacGregor

Finlay Weir (d. 9.7.18)

A Wilson

NA Wood

Walter Tull.

However, the 'Official Encyclopaedia of Tottenham Hotspur FC' by Tony Matthews (2001) also lists:-

Fred Griffiths (d.30.10.17)

George Badenoch (d.15.6.15).

Do we have a clue which club suffered the greatest loss? I understand legend suggests it may be Hearts.

Here's a bit about Alexander McGregor from the Glasgow Herald of 16th March 1915, "Mrs McGregor, 29 Cowlairs Avenue, Springburn, has received no word from her son, Private Alex. McGregor, of the 1st Gordon Highlanders, since December 14. Private McGregor is well known as a football player, having played at centre forward for Yoker Athletic last season. He subsequently signed for Totenham Hotspur, to whom he went in August last. He, however, returned to Scotland, and enlited in the Gordon Highlanders in November. After a stay in Aberdeen he left fo the front on December 3."

McGREGOR, ALEXANDER

Rank: Private Service No: S/7146 Date of Death: 14/12/1914 Regiment/Service: Gordon Highlanders 1st Bn. Panel Reference: Panel 38. Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Derek.

[blighty valley]

gunner e bullen rfa, kia 11/08/1917 ( 11.a.9 ) vraucourt copse cemetery vaulx- vraucourt france, is the only player to be killed in the great war who played for the great bury fc

[alanmackie]

Hi

I have not seen any reference to any Wolverhampton Wanderers players who died during WW1.

I have one who a John (Jack) Shelton who played in 1908 Cup Final which Wolves won against Newcastle United. he later joined Port Vale.

Private J Shelton 52065 Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment also 203856 North Staffordshire Regiment. He was conscripted in 1917 and was killed in action on 07 September 1918 and is remembered at Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery.

Here is a link to his Wikipedia reference.

http://en.wikipedia....on_(footballer)

Have there been any other F A Cup medal winners who died in action?

[David Filsell]

should Rooney be added as missing in action?