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Billy
Bassett |
West
Bromwich Albion FC
16 appearances, 5 or 6 goals
P 16 W 12 D 2 L 2 F
64:
A 17
81% successful
1888-97
captain: none
minutes played: 1440 |
 |
|
Timeline |
| |
William Isaiah Bassett
JP |
|
Birth |
Wednesday,
27 January 1869 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire |
|
|
registered in West Bromwich January-March 1869 |
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According to the 1871 census,
William Isaiah is the third child of four to Charles and Rebecca (née Waites). They
live in Phoenix Street in West Bromwich. His father is a coal
merchant. |
|
|
According to the 1881 census,
and William I. now has two more younger brothers, they live at 48 Overend
Street in West Bromwich. Father is now a colliery agent.
Another brother, Arthur, is born and died in 1875. |
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|
According to the 1891 census,
now a writing clerk, William I. is one of five children remaining with
their parents, now at 28 Nichols Street, West Bromwich.
(His father
died on 5 September 1897) |
|
Marriage |
to Beatrice
Birch, Wednesday, 27 June 1900, in West Bromwich. |
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|
registered in West Bromwich April-June 1900 |
|
Children |
Billy
and Beatrice
Bassett had four children together.
Norman William (b.16 May 1901), Beatrice Marriott
(b.1905), Mary Doreen (b.25 March 1906)
and Joan Gwendoline (b.1911). |
|
|
According to the 1901 census,
William I. is now a licensed victualler, and married to Beatrice. He runs
the public house, the Anchor Inn at 303 High Street in West Bromwich. |
|
Bassett was a Freemason, a member of Noah's Ark Lodge, initiated on 15
April 1904. A licensed victualler living at 303 High Street. |
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According to the 1911 census,
William Isaiah, still a victualler, is now running Dartmouth Hotel, 2
Paradise Street in West Bromwich, with his wife and three children.
Norman, Beatrice and Mary. |
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|
According to the 1921 census,
William Isaiah, now a retired hotel proprietor, is now living at 132
Beeches Road in West Bromwich, with Beatrice and his four children (which
now includes Joan) and one servant.
(His mother died 25 December
1923) |
|
1936 Kelly's Directory of Staffordshire |
Bassett William Isaiah J.P. 81 Beeches Road.
Bassett was made a Justice of the Peace the previous year. |
|
Death |
Thursday, 8 April 1937 at
his home at Kelvedon, 81 Beeches Road in
West Bromwich, Staffordshire, of a
heart-attack. |
|
aged
68 years 71 days |
registered in West Bromwich April-June 1937 |
|
Obituary |
"Death of Billy Bassett.
"Mr W. I. Bassett, Chairman
of West Bromwich Albion F.C., died at his home to-day following a heart
attack. He was 68. Mr Bassett had been associated with the club for 51
years, first as a player, then as a director, and finally chairman.
,%20Billy.jpg) Popularly known as Billy, he was an outstanding player of his day. Between
1889 and 1896 he played eight times for England against Scotland, and
during that period also appeared four times against both Wales and
Ireland. Altogether he played for England 16 times. In those days England
did not always put her full strength in the field against the countries
regarded as easy prey, otherwise this great outside right would have had
many more appearances. Very fast, and a clever dribbler, Bassett placed the ball
accurately with his passes, centres or shots, and in every way was a
brilliant wing forward. He helped West Bromwich Albion to win the F.A. Cup
in 1888 and 1892. The final ties in which Bassett was on the victorious
side both took place at Kennington Oval. On the first occasion Preston
North End, Albion's opponents on Saturday, were strong favourites and they
fell unexpectedly, and on the second Aston Villa were beaten in a great
Birmingham battle. In his early days Bassett's weekly wage was 7s 6d. He
played his last league match for the Albion on April 24, 1899. He had been
chairman since 1929."
"
- Birmingham
Daily Gazette, Friday, 9 April
1937. |
Funeral
Monday,
12 April 1937
All Saints, West Bromwich |
|
"The funeral will take
place on Monday, the internment will be at All Saints' Parish Church, West
Bromwich, after a service at St. Philip's Church, Beeches-road, at noon.
The service will be conducted by the Rev. W. G. Jordan, Vicar of
Darlington, Albion amateur International centre-forward of pre-war days.
He will be assisted by the Rev. Martin, of Smethwick, a personal friend of
the late Mr. Bassett."
- Birmingham
Daily Gazette, Friday, 9 April
1937. |
|
Probate |
"BASSETT
William Isaiah of Beeches-road
West Bromwich Staffordshire died 8 April 1937 Probate London 16
June to Beatrice Bassett widow William Ellery Jephcott journalist and Fred
Everiss company secretary.
Effects £51162 13s. 4d." |
|
|
Beatrice
Bassett died on 17 September 1946 and is buried with her late husband. |
|
Source |
 Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & |
|
Playing Career |
Club(s) |
After playing
for several amateur sides including Christ Church School FC, Oak Villa FC,
West Bromwich Strollers FC and Old Church FC, Bassett joined West Bromwich
Albion FC in August 1886, and was awarded the club captaincy, and despite
a rumour to join Everton FC for the 1896-97 season, Bassett remained with
Albion until he retired in April 1899. |
League History
261 appearances, 61 goals |
West
Bromwich Albion FC 1888-99, 261 appearances, 61 goals.
debut:
8 September 1888 Stoke FC 0 West Bromwich Albion FC 2.
last: 24 April
1899 Aston Villa FC 7 West Bromwich Albion FC 1. |
|
Club honours |
FA Cup winners
1887-88, 1891-92 (7ᵃ 2ᵍ), runners-up 1894-95 (6ᵃ
1ᵍ);
Football League best finish:- fifth in
1889-90 (19ᵃ 3ᵍ) |
|
Individual honours |
'Finest
footballer in Britain' 1895 |
Distinctions |
On 28 April 1894, Bassett
became the first ever West Bromwich Albion FC player to be sent off, he
was dismissed for using "unparliamentarily language" in a friendly match
away at Millwall FC.
He also had a regular column in the Birmingham
Mail in 1905, reporting every week on the Black Country's football news, and continued to supply articles for many newspapers afterwards. |
|
Height/Weight |
5'
5½", 10st.
4lbs [1892],
5'
5½", 10st.
6lbs [1895]. 5' 6", 10st 12lbs [1899] |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & ENFA. |
|
England
Career |
|
Player number |
One of
five who became the 147th player
(150) to appear
for England. |
|
Position(s) |
Outside-right |
|
First match |
No. 34, 7 April
1888, Ireland 1 England 5, a British Championship match at Ulster
Cricket Ground, Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast, aged 19 years 71 days; |
Last match
7 years 362 days |
No. 58, 4 April
1896, Scotland 2 England 1, a British Championship match at
Celtic Park, Kerrydale Street, Parkhead, Glasgow, aged 27 years
68 days.
 |
|
Major tournaments |
British
Championship 1887-88, 1888-89, 1889-90, 1890-91, 1891-92, 1892-93,
1893-94, 1894-95, 1895-96; |
|
Team honours |
British
Championship winners 1887-88, 1890-91, 1891-92, 1892-93, 1894-95;
shared 1889-90 |
|
Individual honours |
The North (one appearance 1ᵍ, January 1890);
The Whites (two appearances, 1890-94);
The Stripes (one appearance, March 1891)
The Professionals (three appearances 2ᵍ, January 1893-96)
FA
Tour of Germany 1899 |
|
Distinctions |
None |
|
Beyond England |
|
Bassett became an Albion director in 1905,
following the resignation of the previous board in its entirety. The club
was in deep financial trouble and had had a writ served upon them by their
bank, but Bassett and returning chairman Harry Keys rescued the club,
aided by local fund-raising activities.
Bassett became chairman in 1908, and helped
the club to avoid bankruptcy once more in 1910 by paying the players'
summer wages from his own pocket. He remained Albion's chair until
his death. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming
(1990). Hatton Press, p.135-6.
"In 1922
he was given a seat on the Board of Management of the Central League and
in [April] 1930 he was appointed a member of the Management Committee of the
Football League, by virtue of which he also became a member of the Council
of the Football Association. Last season [1936] he was elected a member of the International
Selection Committee." - Birmingham Daily Gazette, Friday, 9 April 1937. |
|
The Numbers |
|
parties |
Apps |
comp. apps |
minutes |
| goals ave.min |
comp. goals |
 |
captain |
|
17 |
16 |
16 |
1440 |
5 or 6 |
288 min or 240
min |
5 or 6 |
8 |
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 |
|
16 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
64 |
17 |
+47 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
1.063 |
81.3 |
+10 |
|
All 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 |
8 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
37 |
8 |
+29 |
0 |
3 |
4.625 |
1.00 |
87.5 |
+6 |
|
Away |
8 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
27 |
9 |
+7 |
0 |
1 |
3.375 |
1.125 |
75.0 |
+4 |
Tournament Record
|
British Championship Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC 1887-88 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
+4 |
0 |
0 |
5.00 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+1 |
|
BC 1888-89 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
+2 |
0 |
0 |
3.00 |
2.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
|
BC 1889-90 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
+2 |
0 |
0 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
75.0 |
+1 |
|
BC 1890-91 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
2 |
+6 |
0 |
0 |
4.00 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+2 |
|
BC 1891-92 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
+3 |
0 |
0 |
4.00 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+1 |
|
BC 1892-93 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
2 |
+9 |
0 |
1 |
5.50 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+2 |
|
BC 1893-94 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
=0 |
0 |
0 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
|
BC 1894-95 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
+12 |
0 |
2 |
6.00 |
0.00 |
100.0 |
+2 |
|
BC 1895-96 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
12 |
3 |
+9 |
0 |
1 |
4.00 |
1.00 |
66.7 |
+1 |
|
BC 1896-97 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
=0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
00.0 |
=0 |
|
BC All |
16 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
64 |
17 |
+47 |
0 |
4 |
4.00 |
1.063 |
81.3 |
+10 |
|
All Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC |
16 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
64 |
17 |
+47 |
0 |
4 |
4.00 |
1.063 |
81.3 |
+10 |
|
16 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
64 |
17 |
+47 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
1.063 |
81.3 |
+10 |
Match History
|
apps |
match |
match details |
comp |
res. |
rundown |
pos |
|
unsure who scored the second goal. |
|
the goal that is often credited to Bassett is in fact, a Tom
Gordon own goal |
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England
Football Online