William Foulke (footballer)
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William Henry "Fatty" Foulke (also spelt Foulk or Foulkes) (April 12, 1874 in Dawley, Shropshire – May 1, 1916) was a professional cricketer and football player in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Foulke was renowned for his great size (6"7 by some estimates) and weight, reaching perhaps 24 stone (150 kg) at the end of his career, although reports on his weight vary.
He played four first-class matches for Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1900, but is remembered primarily as a goalkeeper for Sheffield United and Chelsea. He also won a single international cap for England in 1897 against Wales
After being discovered playing for village side Blackwell in a Derbyshire Cup tie at Ilkeston Town, Foulke made his debut for Sheffield United against West Bromwich Albion on September 1, 1894 and led the team to three FA Cup finals (winning two) and a League Championship.
At the end of the first match in the 1902 Cup Final Foulke protested to the officials that Southampton's equalizing goal should not have been allowed. Foulke left his dressing room unclothed and angrily pursued the referee, Mr. Kirkham, who took refuge in a broom cupboard. Foulke had to be stopped by a group of F.A. officials from wrenching the cupboard door from its hinges to reach the hapless referee. In the replay, Sheffield United won 2-1, with Foulke being required to make several saves to keep United in the match.
He then moved to Chelsea for a fee of £50. He was made captain there, but stayed for just one season before moving to his final club, Bradford City.
Foulke died in 1916. His death certificate gives "cirrhosis" as the major cause of death. The stories of pneumonia caught whilst earning pin money at a "beat the goalie" booth on Blackpool Sands seem to be without foundation.
Foulke appears in the Mitchell and Kenyon films, playing in a match on September 6, 1902.
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[edit] Trivia
- The football chant "Who Ate All the Pies?" is said to have originally been about Foulke.
- During the 1896/97 season Foulke's brought a First Division game to a halt by hanging off the crossbar when bored and snapping it.[2]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ↑ Colossus, The True Story of William Foulke, Tempus Publishing 2005
[edit] Sheffield United Career
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This biographical article related to an English football goalkeeper is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| Season | Division | League Apps | FA Cup Apps | Other Apps | Total Apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894–95 | Division 1 | 29 | 3 | 5 | 37 |
| 1895–96 | Division 1 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 34 |
| 1896–97 | Division 1 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 31 |
| 1897–98 | Division 1 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 31 |
| 1898–99 | Division 1 | 32 | 9 | 1 | 42 |
| 1899–1900 | Division 1 | 33 | 5 | 2 | 40 |
| 1900–01 | Division 1 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 36 |
| 1901–02 | Division 1 | 26 | 9 | 0 | 35 |
| 1902–03 | Division 1 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| 1903–04 | Division 1 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 31 |
| 1904–05 | Division 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Total | 299 | 41 | 12 | 352 |
Categories: English football goalkeeper stubs | 1874 births | 1916 deaths | Early (pre-1914) Association Football players | People from Shropshire | English footballers | England international footballers | English cricketers | Derbyshire cricketers | Football (soccer) goalkeepers | Sheffield United F.C. players | Chelsea F.C. players | Bradford City A.F.C. players
