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30 September 2024
 
 
 

Billy Bannister

Burnley FC, Bolton Wanderers FC

 2 appearances, 0 goals

P 2 W 2 D 0 L 0 F 7: A 0
100% successful
1901-02

captain: none
minutes played: 180

Timeline
  William Bannister
Birth Thursday, 12 September 1878 in Burnley Lane, Burnley, Lancashire.
  registered in Burnley October-December 1878
  There was also another William Bannister registered in Burnley in June 1879.  But as he was 22 before 31 March 1901, he could not be the Bannister registered three months later.
 

According to the 1881 census, William Bannister is the sixth child of seven, to John and Susannah (née Blakey). His father is deaf and is a cotton twister. Living at 18 Argyle Street in Habergham Eaves in Burnley.
 

According to the 1891 census, William is now one of six children at home, and is now a doffer in the spinning room. All now living at 14 Earl Street in Burnley.
 

(His mother died in 1895)
According to the 1901 census, the Bannister's were boarding with the Gill's at 33 Bar Street in Burnley. William is a Professional Footballer, also living with his father, John, and younger brother, John, who is a cotton weaver.
Marriage to Mary Anne Holt, on 2 April 1902, at St. Matthew the Apostle Church, in Habergham Eaves, Lancashire
  registered in Burnley April-June 1902
Children Billy and Mary Bannister had five children together. Albert (b.8 October 1902), Madge Blessington (b.1905), Fred (b.1908), William (b.10 April 1911) and Edith (b.13 August 1917).
 

According to the 1911 census, Wm is married and running a public house, and still stated his occupation as a Professional Footballer. He is landlord of the Grimshaw Arms, and married to a Welsh wife, Mary Anne, and three children, Albert, Madge and Fred.
  "Billy Bannister, the Burnley international of 1901, who rendered good service for the Turf Moor club, has joined the Army. Lately he was a licensee at Leicester." - Burnley Express and Advertiser, Wednesday, 7 March 1917.
  According to the 1921 census, William is still a licensed victualler (at 24 Welford Road in Leicester) and still married, but he and their new daughter, three year old Edith, are visitors of the Gill househould at 45 Bar Street in Burnley.
  (His father died in1938)
According to the 1939 register, William is a licensed victualler manager (of The Woolcombers' Arms) living with his wife at 56 Lower Churchgate in Leicester, along with his son William James, and his wife.
Death Wednesday, 25 March 1942 at The Royal Infirmary, Infirmary Square, in Leicester, Leicestershire. Living at the Woolcombers' Arms Hotel at the time. "Mr. Bannister had only been ill a week before his death".
aged 63 years 194 days registered in Leicester January-March 1942.
"DEATHS... ...BANNISTER.—William, of the Woolcombers Arms, ex-international and Leicester Fosse captain, passed peacefully away at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, Wednesday, March 25th." - Leicester Mercury, Thursday, 26 March 1942 & Friday, 27 March  1942/The Illustrated Leicester Chronicle, Saturday, 28 March 1942.

Obituary
"FORMER FOSSE CAPTAIN.
 "The death is announced of Mr. William Bannister, mine host of the Woolcombers' Arms in Lower Church-gate, Leicester, for a number of years, and who for several seasons was centre half-back and captain of Leicester Fosse. 'Billy' Bannister served the Fosse for several seasons before joining up with Swindon Town, then members of the Southern League, for the 1911-12 season. He captained Fosse when they secured promotion in 1908. Before joining Fosse, 'Billy' was with Burnley and Bolton Wanderers, and secured international caps with both teams, playing for England against Wales in 1901, and against Ireland in 1902. He also played for the English League against the Scottish League in 1901-2. He was present at the Jubilee celebrations of both the Leicestershire F.A. and the Leicester City F.C. On finishing his football career with Swindon Town, he returned to Leicester to become a member of the licensed trade." - The Leicester Mercury, Thursday, 26 March 1942.
 "Ex-International's Death.
 "The death was announced last weekend of Mr. William, Bannister, the Burnley international footballer. 'Billy' Bannister, as he was familiarly known, hailed from the Burnley Lane district, and joined Burnley as a centre-half in the 1899-1900 season. In 1901, he was transferred to Bolton Wanderers, and afterwards saw service with Woolwich Arsenal and Leicester Fosse. He returned to Burnley on a free transfer to play with the Reserve and occasionally assist the seniors. He played for the League against Scotland on March 16th, 1901, and in the international match with Wales two days later. He received his Irish Cap in 1902. For a time he was licensee of the Grimshaw Arms, Temple-street, and when the license lapsed through redundancy he became a publican at Leicester. In his Turf Moor days he was a popular figure, renowned for his wit and practical jokes." - Burnley Express and News, Wednesday, 1 April 1942
Funeral Buried in Gilroes Cemetery, Groby Road in Leicester
  Mary Bannister died in Leicester in 1967.

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] Neville Sakkers, New Zealand resident and Bannister relative &

Playing Career

Club(s):		 Played his early football with Earsley FC, before signing for Burnley FC in 1899. Bolton Wanderers FC signed him ahead of Aston Villa FC, Everton FC and Manchester City FC on 27 November 1901 for "£700", and he transferred to Woolwich Arsenal FC on 23 December 1902. Afterwhich a move to Leicester Fosse FC on 29 April 1904 "after several weeks of negotiations, constitutes a record for the Fosse". Bannister returned to Burnley FC on a free transfer on 30 August 1910, and after two years, found himself helping Crewe Alexandra in 1912, and Leicester Imperial FC a year later.

League honours
250 appearances 22 goals		 Burnley FC 1899-1901 fifty appearances, three goals
debut: 7 October 1899 Burnley FC 1 Blackburn Rovers FC 0.
Bolton Wanderers FC 1901-02 28 appearances three goals.
debut: 7 December 1901 Blackburn Rovers FC 2 Bolton Wanderers FC 0.
Woolwich Arsenal FC 1903 eighteen appearances.
debut (division two): 1 January 1903 Stockport County FC 0 Woolwich Arsenal FC 1.
Leicester Fosse FC 1904-10 149 appearances, fifteen goals
debut (division two): 3 September 1904 Blackpool FC 0 Leicester Fosse FC 0.
Burnley FC 1910-12 five appearances one goal
debut (division two): 3 September 1910 Burnley FC 3 Lincoln City FC 1.
last (division two): 17 February 1912 Burnley FC 3 Bradford FC 1.
Club honours Football League Division Two third place 1900-01 (33ᵃ 3ᵍ), 1902-03 (16ᵃ), 1906-07 (37ᵃ 7ᵍ), 1911-12 (1ᵃ); runners-up 1903-04 (2ᵃ), 1907-08ᶜ (33ᵃ 2ᵍ);
Individual honours Football League (two appearances)
Distinctions None
Height/Weight 5' 11", 12st. [1901].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

England Career
Player number One of six who became the 262nd players (264) player to appear for England.
Position(s) Centre-half
First match No. 72, 18 March 1901, England 6 Wales 0, a British Championship match at St. James' Park, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, aged 22 years 187 days.
Last match
1 year 4 days		 No. 75, 22 March 1902, Ireland 0 England 1, a British Championship match at North-East Showgrounds, Balmoral, Belfast, aged 23 years 191 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1900-01, 1901-02;
Team honours British Championship winners 1900-01;
Individual honours The North (one appearance February 1902);
Distinctions None

Beyond England
Employed as a licensee after leaving football, first at Burnley and then a hotel in Leicester. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.23.


The Numbers
parties Appearances comp. apps minutes captain
3 2 2 180 0 none
The minutes here given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an approximation.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 0 2 3.5 0 100 +2
Both of his matches were played in the British Championship competition

Venue Record

Venue P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6 0 1 6.00 0.00 100.0 +1
Away 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1

Tournament Record

British Championships Tournaments
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1900-01 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6 0 1 6.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC 1901-02 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC All 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 0 2 3.50 0.00 100.0 +2

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 0 2 3.50 0.00 100.0 +2
2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 0 2 3.5 0 100 +2

Match History

 Club: Burnley F.C. - one full appearance (90 min) F.A. International Select Committee - two full appearances (180 min)x

apps match match details comp res. rundown pos

Age 22
1 72 18 March 1901 - England 6 Wales 0
St. James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne		 BC HW   ch
 

one of six who became the 262nd player (264) to appear for England
the fourth Burnley FC player to represent England
the second player from the second tier of the Football League to represent England

 Club: Bolton Wanderers F.C. - one full appearance (90 min)  

Age 23 trial  
one appearance  - The South vs. The North, 24 February 1902;

2 75 22 March 1902 - Ireland 0 England 1
Balmoral Showgrounds, Belfast		 BC AW   ch
 

the fifth Bolton Wanderers FC player to represent England

void 5 April 1902 - Scotland 1 England 1, Ibrox Park, Glasgow BC AD travelling reserve
76 3 May 1902 - England 2 Scotland 2, Aston Lower Grounds, Birmingham BC HD withdrawn reserve
  


     

 
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