Frank Norris (footballer)

Frank Norris (1869–1934) was an English footballer who played in the Football League as a full back for Preston North End in 1891–92.[2] He also played non-league football for Preston Hornets, Fishwick Ramblers and Darlington.

Frank Norris
Personal information
Full name Frank Norris[1]
Date of birth 1869
Place of birth Preston, England
Date of death 1934 (aged 65)
Place of death Preston, England
Position(s) Full back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Preston Hornets
Fishwick Ramblers
189?–1892 Preston North End 3 (0)
1892–1899? Darlington
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Personal life

Norris's birth was registered in Preston, Lancashire in the third quarter of 1869.[1] He was one of numerous children of Francis Norris (also known as Frank) and his wife Margaret. At the time of Norris's baptism at All Saints Church in September 1869, the family were living in the Ashton area of the city and Norris senior was working as an engine tenter.[3]

Norris died in his native Preston in 1934 at the age of 65. His death was registered in the last quarter of that year.[1][4]

Football career

Norris began his senior football career playing as a centre forward for Preston Hornets, and also captained the team, before moving on to Fishwick Ramblers, which is where he became a full back.[5] By the 1890–91 season, that team had become Preston North End's reserve eleven, and Norris acted as its captain.[5][6] He made frequent appearances for Preston in friendly matches,[5] and made his Football League debut on 26 September 1891, replacing the injured Nick Ross at left back – despite being primarily a right back[7] – for the visit to Bolton Wanderers. Although Preston lost 3–0, the Preston Chronicle reported that "praise [was] also due to the backs (Holmes and Norris), the last named – from the Fishwick Ramblers – doing very well remembering it was his first trial in a first-class game."[8] He kept his place for the next match, a 2–0 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, and again "did well for a youngster".[9] His third and final league appearance came in April 1892 in the reverse fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers. This time, he played alongside Ross, deputising for Bob Holmes who was away on England international duty; Preston won 3–0.[10]

At the end of the season, Norris became one of numerous additions to the personnel of Darlington, then a professional club playing in the Northern League.[11] He played regularly at full back, and contributed to their winning both the Durham Challenge Cup and its Cleveland equivalent that season.[5] As a young man living in Preston, Norris had worked as a joiner,[12] and when the Darlington club reverted to amateurism, he took employment in that trade at the North Road Railway Engine Works.[5]

Together with four of his Darlington teammates, Norris was selected to represent the Cleveland Association against Cumberland in September 1895.[13] Cleveland won 8–0, and the North-Eastern Daily Gazette thought he and Middlesbrough's Dan Wilson "proved an admirable pair of backs".[14] Norris succeeded Davy Campbell as captain of Darlington for the 1895–96 season.[5] He led the team to the league title and to the semifinal of that season's Amateur Cup, in which they were unexpectedly defeated by Bishop Auckland, having beaten them 7–2 a few weeks earlier.[15]

Norris played in all Darlington's FA Cup matches from the 1892–93 through to 1896–97,[16] and led them to a third Durham Cup victory. At a celebratory dinner at the end of the 1896–97 season, he recognised that his career might be coming to an end. Replying to the toast to Darlington Football Club and "their esteemed captain", he said that as long as he stayed in the area he would take an active interest in the club, keeping its welfare at heart, and if suitable new players arrived, he would "readily stand aside, and be prepared to fill any vacancies that might from time to time occur".[17] Norris was selected for the inaugural Northern League representative fixture, between players contracted to clubs affiliated to the Durham Association and those from Cleveland clubs, in April 1897.[18] He continued in Darlington's side thereafter, albeit less regularly, until at least the 1898–99 season.[19]

Style of play

With Darlington, Norris was consistently one of the better performers.[5][20] According to a glowing profile in the Northern Echo, quoting "a Newcastle contemporary", "His kick is very sure and very strong. In addition he is a very ready tackler, showing unusual pluck and determination. His play evinces nothing, however, pertaining to recklessness. He goes in firmly and always gets the ball."[5] This last was not entirely accurate: in an Amateur Cup tie against Old Carthusians in 1896, "Norris was the principal offender in the matter of fouls, and narrowly escaped being ordered off the field by the referee."[21] If he had a fault, it was a tendency to be caught too far upfield: the Gazette suggested that he "would be well advised to stick more to his own position and not get so much among the forwards".[22] Apart from his defensive duties, he took free kicks and penalties.[20][23]

References
  1. Frank Norris at the English National Football Archive (subscription required). Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  2. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  3. "Frank Norris". England and Wales Census, 1881. Retrieved 14 February 2017 – via FamilySearch.org.
    "Baptisms at the Church of All Saints in the Parish of Preston: Baptisms for the Years 1866–1871". Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  4. "Frank Norris". England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837–2007. Retrieved 14 February 2017 – via FamilySearch.org.
  5. "Saturday's Football. Games and comments". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 13 January 1896. p. 4. He is always up to his form, never seeming to be off it.
  6. "Football, &c". Preston Chronicle. 17 January 1891. p. 8.
  7. "Football, &c". Preston Chronicle. 19 September 1891. p. 8.
  8. "Football, &c". Preston Chronicle. 3 October 1891. p. 8.
  9. "Football, &c". Preston Chronicle. 10 October 1891. p. 8.
  10. "Saturday's Football. Scotland v. England and The League. Wolverhampton Wanderers v. Preston North End". Birmingham Daily Post. 4 April 1892. p. 7.
  11. 'Rambler' (18 June 1892). "Sports and pastimes". Blackburn Standard. p. 6. Darlington are not going to be behindhand in the matter of booking players, for the directors of the new football company there have managed to get in Norris, who figured as a full-back for Preston North End during part of the past season.
    "The football season". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 3 September 1892. p. 7. This year in Darlington the only professional organisation is that which has Feethams for its habitat, Saint Augustine's having reverted to amateurism. The town club has undergone a complete reorganisation at the hands of the management of the newly constituted football company, and only two of last year's men—Auld and McDonald—are retained in the team as it will take the field to-day.
  12. "Frank Narris". England and Wales Census, 1891. Retrieved 14 February 2017 – via FamilySearch.org.
  13. "Cleveland Football Association". Yorkshire Herald. 19 September 1895. p. 8.
  14. 'Rover' (30 September 1895). "Football. Notes on games and players". North-Eastern Daily Gazette. Middlesbrough. p. 4.
  15. Hunt, Brian (1989). Northern Goalfields. Official Centenary History of the Northern League 1889–1989. Skol Northern League Management Committee. p. 26. ISBN 0-9514597-1-6.
    "To-day's football". Morning Post. London. 21 March 1896. p. 4. In the semi-finals for the Amateur Cup Darlington should most likely beat Bishop Auckland at Middlesbrough
    "Football. The English Amateur Cup. The semi-final at Middlesbrough". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 21 March 1896. p. 4. It is perhaps hardly necessary to say that public opinion inclines generally—even in Bishop Auckland itself—in favour of the chances of the Feethams contingent, who are certainly as strongly represented as possible, and 'mean winning'.
  16. Tweddle, Frank (2000). The Definitive Darlington F.C. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-899468-15-7.
  17. "Complimentary dinner to the Darlington team". North-Eastern Daily Gazette. Middlesbrough. 7 April 1897. p. 3.
  18. Hunt, Brian. Northern Goalfields. Official Centenary History of the Northern League 1889–1989. p. 30.
  19. "Football". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 14 January 1899. p. 4. The team have been playing, as will have been noticed, much better than at the beginning of the season. For a few weeks the committee were watching the turn of events, then they reorganised the team as it now is. Norris and Oliver, who were playing full back and outside right respectively, are still with the club
  20. "Saturday's Football. Durham Senior Cup". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 13 January 1896. p. 4. Norris was even more than usually safe and reliable.
  21. "English Amateur Cup second round. Replayed tie". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 24 February 1896. p. 4.
  22. 'Rover' (30 September 1895). "Football. Notes on games and players". North-Eastern Daily Gazette. Middlesbrough. p. 4. Both Norris and Johnson did splendid services, but Norris would be well advised to stick more to his own position and not get so much among the forwards. An error at a time like that might easily lose a match.
    'Observer' (14 September 1896). "Saturday's Football. Games and comments". The Northern Echo. Darlington. p. 4. Norris was a long way behind his partner, and constantly got too far up the field.
  23. "Saturday's Football. Northern League. Darlington 7 Bishop Auckland 2". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 27 January 1896. p. 4. Norris, playing with great distinction, scored from a free kick five minutes after Almond had been through.
    "Saturday's Football. English Amateur Cup. 1st round". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 3 February 1896. p. 4. Norris took it but was interfered with, and a second kick was ordered. Norris, however, put the ball straight at the custodian, who fisted it away
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