|
Billy
Betts |
Wednesday FC
1 appearance, 0 goals
P 1 W 1 D 0 L 0 F 4:
A 1
100% successful
1889
captain: none
minutes played: 90 |
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 |
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Timeline |
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William Betts |
|
Birth |
Saturday, 26 March 1864
in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire |
|
|
registered in Sheffield January-March 1864 |
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Baptism |
Sunday, 15 May 1864 at St Peter's & St Paul's Cathedral, Sheffield.
Living in Russell Street. |
|
Education |
Attended Pitsmoor
School |
|
|
According to the 1871 census,
seven year-old William is the second eldest of four children to William and Mary Anne
(née Cook),
living on Barnsley Road, Brightside Bierlow in Sheffield. His father was a
file cutter. |
|
|
According to the 1881 census,
now a file cutter himself, William is the eldest of three children still
living with their parents at 37 Haywood Road in Brightside Brierlow. |
|
First marriage |
to Charlotte Taylor, on Sunday, 30 July 1882 at St Phillip's Church,
Shalesmoor |
|
|
registered in Sheffield July-September 1882 |
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Children |
Billy and Charlotte Betts
had nine
children together. George Edward (b.12 October 1882), Harry (b.27 February 1885), William
Herbert (b.1889), Harold (b.24
February 1891),
Lottie (b.24 January 1893), Leonard (b.30
May 1896), May (b.16 February 1898) and Annie
(b.1903). |
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|
According to the 1891 census,
William is now married to Charlotte, and they have four sons, George, Harry, William
and five-week old Harold. They live with the in-laws, the Taylors,
at 52 Danville Street in Brightside Brierlow. William is a gas stoker. |
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|
According to the 1901 census,
still married and still a gas stoker, and now with three more children,
Lottie, Leonard and May. All living in 93 Mulehouse Lane in Nether
Hallam, Ecclesall Bierlow. |
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|
According to the 1911 census,
still married with five of his children with him, one of them new in the
past ten years, Annie. All living at 26 Lonsdale Road in Ecclesall Bierlow.
He is now a Foreman gas stoker.
(His wife Charlotte Betts died in
1918) |
|
Second marriage |
to Charlotte Payling, in early 1919, in Wortley |
|
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registered in Wortley January-March 1919 |
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Neither William or Charlotte can be found on
the 1921 census.
(His eldest son, George Edward Betts, died on 19 August
1925, this third son, William Herbert Betts, died on 13 July 1935) |
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|
According to the 1939 register, William and Charlotte are
still married, they are living at 965 Penistone Road in Sheffield. William
is a retired assistant groundsman. His son, Harold and his wife, Annie,
live at 957. |
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Death |
Friday, 8 August 1941 in Sheffield, West Riding of
Yorkshire |
|
aged
77 years 135 days |
registered in Sheffield July-September 1941 |
|
|
the second Charlotte Betts died in 1961. |
|
Source |
 Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], Jason Dickinson's Sheffield Wednesday Who's Who
[2005] & |
|
=Playing
Career |
Club(s) |
Began his football playing as a full-back for his school team,
Pitsmoor FC, and then onto Parkwood Rovers FC (the Burton Star FC reserve
side), Clarence FC and then for Pyebank FC in 1881-82. Heeley FC invited
Betts to play for them after he played against them in the Sheffield Cup
Final. The following season, 1882-83, Betts was invited to assist Wednesday FC,
whilst still turning out for Pyebank. In 1883-84, he was playing with Lockwood Brothers FC,
where he became a half-back. Also played one match for
Lincoln City FC after he was loaned to them by Lockwood Bros. Betts played against Sheffield Club on
Saturday, 21 March 1885.
Returned to the Wednesday club from the following season, turning
professional with them in 1887. Despite efforts from Preston North End FC
and Sheffield United FC to secure his services, Betts remained until 1895, becoming the
popular club captain. |
League History
49 appearances, three goals |
Wednesday FC 1892-95, 49 appearances, three goals.
debut: 3 September 1892 Notts County FC 0
Wednesday FC 1.
last: 12 April 1895 Preston North End FC 3 Wednesday FC
1. |
|
Club honours |
Sheffield Challenge Cup runners-up 1881-82,
winners 1883-84, 1884-85;
Wharncliffe Charity Cup runners-up 1881-82;
Football Alliance winners 1889-90;
FA Cup
runners-up 1889-90;
Football League best finish: - Division One, eighth place,
1894-95 (1ᵃ 1ᵍ). |
|
Individual honours |
Sheffield
FA |
Distinctions |
Bett's
grandson is
Sheffield Wednesday FC's left-winger Dennis Woodhead (1947-55),
born 12 June 1925. His father, Joseph Woodhead married Billy's youngest
daughter, Annie, in Wortley, in 1923.
Billy Betts' benefit match was played on 23 April 1894 between Wednesday
club and Liverpool FC, the recent League Division Two winners.
Wednesday won 4-0 in front of 3,000, with
receipts of over £56.
He was also an accomplished cricketer,
turning out for Pitsmoor United CC, Yorkshire Colts CC and the Neepsend
Gas Company CC, winning many local honours |
|
Height/Weight |
5'
8", 11st.
8lbs [1891]. |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990],
Jason Dickinson's Sheffield Wednesday Who's Who [2005] &
Lincoln's Gary Parle. |
|
England Career |
|
Player number |
One of five who became the 152nd
player (154) to appear for England. |
|
Position(s) |
Left-half |
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Only match |
No. 35,
23
February 1889, England 4
Wales 1,
a British Championship match at
Victoria Ground, Boothen, Stoke-upon-Trent, aged
24 years
334 days. |
|
Major tournaments |
British
Championship 1888-89; |
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Distinctions |
Died just two days after
Harry Cursham |
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Beyond England |
|
Later Wednesday's groundsman and from
1922, the club's trainer. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.33/34. |
England
Football Online
