|
Billy
Beats |
Wolverhampton Wanderers
FC
2 appearances, 0 goals
P 2 W 1 D 1 L 0 F 8:
A 2
75% successful
1901-02
captain: none
minutes played: 180 |
|
Timeline |
|
William Edwin Beats |
Birth |
Monday, 13 November 1871 in
Wolstanton, Staffordshire |
|
registered in Wolstanton October-December 1871 |
|
"William Edwin Beats was born at Wolstanton, in North
Staffordshire, on November 13th, 1871" - Athletic News,
Monday, 27 January 1902 |
|
According to the 1881 census,
the nine year-old William is the eldest son, although the fourth of six
children, to Edwin and Amelia (née Gaugherty). They all live in Victoria Street in
Wolstanton. His father is a slater. |
|
According to the 1891 census,
William, now a stone miner, is the oldest of the three children that are
at home with their parents, still in Victoria Street. |
"UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE... |
"Bacherlor in Arts.—Bertie O. Corbett,
Oriel;" - London Standard, Monday, 12 April 1897. |
Marriage |
to Elizabeth
Paulina Cousens, on Wednesday, 13 April 1898 at Holy Trinity Church Sneyd
Green, Staffordshire. |
|
registered in Wolstanton April-June 1898 |
Children |
Billy and Lena Beats had five children together.
Alice (b.11 September 1898), John
(b.1 May 1903), Edwin (b.1907), William
(b.1909)
and Paulina (b1910). |
|
According to the 1901 census,
William, now a professional footballer, is now married to Elizabeth with a
single daughter, Alice, living at 62 Bristol Street in Wolverhampton. |
|
According to the 1911 census,
William E., a professional trainer in the football industry, is married
with five children, Alice, John, Edwin, William and Lena, all living at 95
Grovelands Road in Reading.
Berkshire Electoral Registers confirm the
Beats' at 95 Grovelands Road since at least 1910. |
|
(His father died in early 1918) According to the 1921 census,
William E., still married and now a licensed victualler, and with four
children and a servant, they live at The Truro, 46/48 Castle Street in Reading.
Berkshire Electoral Registers and Kelly's Directory confirm the Beats'
at 46-48 Castle Street since at least 1915 until 1936. By 1937, they had
moved to 2 Manchester Road. (His mother died in late 1922) (Their youngest daughter, Lena, died
in 1927, aged 17 years) |
Death |
Thursday
morning, 6 April 1939 at 2
Manchester Road, Reading, Berkshire. |
aged
67 years 144 days |
registered in Reading April-June 1939 |
"DEATH OF MR. W. BEATS... |
"Mr. William Beats, ex-international footballer, who finished his
playing career with the Reading F.C. and afterwards acted as trainer for
many years, died this morning." - Reading Standard, Thursday,
6 April 1939. |
Obituary |
"Death of 'Billy' Beats
"Head of a family with a wonderful
footballing record, William Edwin (Billy) Beats, former international,
Wolverhampton and Reading centre forward, died at his home, 2 Manchester
Road, on Thursday last week, at the age of 67. Mr. Beats commenced his
professional football career ar rhe age of seventeen, when he signed for
Burslem Port Vale (now Port Vale). He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in
1895 and was with them for eight seasons, during which time he was twice
capped for England, against Wales in 1901, and against Scotland the
fo9llowing year. He took part in several inter-league games, twice against
Scotland and twice against Ireland, and captained the England side on one
occasion. On leaving the Wolves Mr. Beats went to Bristol Rovers,
subsequently returned to Port Vale at the end of the 1905-6 season, and a
season later joined Reading as player-trainer. After four or five seasons
he returned to Bristol Rovers in a similar capacity, and then in
September, 1914, came back to Reading, taking over The Truro public-house
in Castle Street. During the war he was engaged on munitions work, but
again assisted the Reading F.C. as trainer until 1925."
- Reading Mercury,
Saturday, 15 April 1939 |
"The Funeral...
Wednesday, 12 April 1939
St. Bartholomew's, Reading |
|
"The funeral took place at St. Bartholomew's Church on Wednesday,
the service being conducted by the Rev. G. B. Tims. Wreaths were sent by
members of the bereaved family. The funeral arrangements were carried out
by the Reading Co-operative Society's funeral department, under the
supervision of Mr. W. J. Hope." - Reading Standard, Friday,
14 April 1939. |
Probate |
"BEATS
William Edwin of 2 Manchester-road
Reading died
6 April 1939 Probate Oxford
30 June to Edwin Beats electrical and mechanical engineer and William Beats electrical engineer. Effects £5687 18s. 11d."
[2024 equivalent: £312,370] |
|
According to the 1939,
Elizabeth P. is a widow living by private means at 6 Cholmeley Road in Reading
with her eldest daughter and her family. |
|
His
wife, Lena Beats, died in Reading on 4 May 1973. |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & |
Playing Career |
Club(s) |
"His first club was that of Port Hill. As
soon as he had made a local reputation such as Stoke and
Newcastle-under-Lyme Swifts cast covetous eyes on him. Indeed, Beats
nearly came to terms with Stoke, but he signed his first professional form
for Port Vale Rovers, the reserve of Burslem Port Vale [in
1889]. He played with them for a season and a half and
then went into the latter eleven as inside-left. But there came a time
when Beats had an ambition to play a part in important football. Everton,
Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Nottingham Forest were anxious to secure him.
Beats went to Nottingham to play in a benefit match. He wore the Garibaldi
uniform of the Forest, who offered him terms, but they were not accepted.
[on 30 May 1895]
...at ten minutes past eleven that night I
signed for the 'Wolves' [for £80 transfer fee]. The secretary of Port Vale
and Mr. Addenbrooke were in one room arranging the terms of the transfer,
and Mr. Molyneux, of Everton, was waiting in another room to see if he
could secure me." Joined Bristol Rovers FC on 9 May 1903,
before making a return
to Burslem Port Vale FC on 9 May 1906 for the season. |
"SITUATIONS WANTED... |
"BILLY BEATS, International. Centre Forward. Open. Apply Bridge
Inn, Etruria-rd., Hanley, Staffordshire." - The Athletic News,
Monday, 3 June 1907. |
|
Joined Reading FC in August 1907 as their
player-coach, retiring from playing in 1911. |
League honours
309 appearances 106 goals |
Burslem Port Vale
FC 1892-95 77 appearances, 26 goals debut
(division two): 12 September 1892 Ardwick FC 2 Burslem Port Vale FC 0. Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 1895-1903
199 appearances, 67 goals debut: 2 September 1895 Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC 5
Burnley FC 1. Burslem Port Vale FC 1906-07
33 appearances, thirteen goals debut (division two): 1 September 1906
Burslem Port Vale FC 1 Leicester Fosse FC 2. last (division
two): 27 April 1907 Burslem Port Vale FC 3 Blackpool FC 0. |
Club honours |
FA Cup
runners-up 1895-96 (6ᵃ 1ᵍ); Football
League Division One third place 1897-98 (28ᵃ 11ᵍ); fourth place 1899-1000
(22ᵃ 9ᵍ); Southern League
winners 1904-05; |
Individual honours |
Football League
(five appearances) |
Distinctions |
His son, Edwin,
would go onto win schoolboy honours with England and become a professional
footballer for Aston Villa FC and Queen's Park Rangers FC. |
Height/Weight |
5'
7", 10st.
12lbs, also 11st 2lb. [1902]. |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
England Career |
Player number |
One of six who
became the 262nd players (266) player to appear for England. |
Position(s) |
Centre-forward |
First match |
No. 72, 18 March 1901, England
6 Wales 0, a British Championship match at St. James' Park, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, aged 29 years
125 days. |
Last match |
No. 76,
3 May 1902, England 2
Scotland
2, a replayed British Championship
match at Aston Lower Grounds, Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, aged
30 years 171 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 |
At the age of thirteen, he went into
the coalpit and worked as a miner for seven years. Afterwards, he helped
his father as a slater. After leaving Reading FC, Beats
joined Bristol Rovers FC as their trainer in 1911, returning to Reading FC
in 1914. He retired from the game during the war. Became a licensee in
Reading from 1914 to 1936. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.29/30. |
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 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
2 |
+6 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
75 |
+1 |
Both of his matches were played in the British Championship
competition and at a home venue |
Tournament Record
British Championship Competition |
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 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
=0 |
0 |
0 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
BC
All |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
2 |
+6 |
0 |
1 |
4.00 |
1.00 |
75.0 |
+1 |
All Competition |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
BC |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
2 |
+6 |
0 |
1 |
4.00 |
1.00 |
75.0 |
+1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
2 |
+6 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
75 |
+1 |
Match History
apps |
match |
match details |
comp |
res. |
rundown |
pos |
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