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William Foulke (footballer)
Encyclopedia
William Henry "Fatty" Foulke (also spelt Foulk or Foulkes) (12 April 1874 – 1 May 1916) was a professional cricket
er and football
player in England
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Foulke was renowned for his great size ( by some estimates) and weight, reaching perhaps 24 stone
(150 kg/331 lb) at the end of his career, although reports on his weight vary.
in the 1900 season
, but is remembered primarily as a goalkeeper for Sheffield United
although he also played for Chelsea
and Bradford City
. 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 1 September 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 pursued the referee, Tom 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 was also in goal for United when they suffered an FA Cup exit to Second Division Burslem Port Vale
in 1898.
He then moved to Chelsea for a fee of £50 and was made club captain. Foulke by now was remarkably temperamental. If he thought his defenders were not trying hard enough, he would walk off the field. Opposing forwards who incurred his displeasure would be picked up and thrown bodily into his goal. He was, however, a great crowd puller, and Chelsea decided to exploit this. To draw even more attention to his size, they placed two small boys behind his goal in an effort to distract the opposition even more. The boys would sometimes run and return the ball when it went out of play, and quite by accident, ball boys came into being. Foulke stayed for just one season before moving to his final club, Bradford City
.
Foulke died in 1916 and was buried in Burngreave cemetery, Sheffield
. 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 6 September 1902.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Foulke was renowned for his great size ( by some estimates) and weight, reaching perhaps 24 stone
Stone (weight)
The stone is a units of measurement that was used in many North European countries until the advent of metrication. It value, which ranged from 3 kg to 12 kg, varied from city to city and also often from commodity to commodity...
(150 kg/331 lb) at the end of his career, although reports on his weight vary.
Playing career
He played four first-class matches for Derbyshire County Cricket ClubDerbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
in the 1900 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1900
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1900 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for twenty-nine years. It was their sixth season in the County Championship and they won three matches to finish thirteenth in the Championship table.-1900 season:Derbyshire played...
, but is remembered primarily as a goalkeeper for Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
although he also played for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
. He also won a single international cap for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in 1897 against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
.
After being discovered playing for village side Blackwell
Blackwell Miners Welfare F.C.
Blackwell receives an entry in the Doomsday book of 1085 showing that there was a Lord of the manor, 13 Villeins, 4 Bordars with ploughs, 7 acres of meadow, 1 wood and 1 priest with bordar. Whether the villeins were the first football team in the village was not recorded...
in a Derbyshire Cup tie at Ilkeston Town
Ilkeston Town F.C.
Ilkeston Football Club is an English football club based at the New Manor Ground in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.-History:The club was established in 1894 as Ilkeston Town F.C.....
, Foulke made his debut for Sheffield United against West Bromwich Albion on 1 September 1894 and led the team to three FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finals (winning two) and a League Championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
.
At the end of the first match in the 1902 Cup Final Foulke protested to the officials that Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
's equalizing goal should not have been allowed. Foulke left his dressing room unclothed and pursued the referee, Tom Kirkham
Tom Kirkham
Thomas "Tom" Kirkham was the referee of the 1902 FA Cup Final.At the end of the first match in the 1902 Cup Final between Sheffield United and Southampton, United's goalkeeper William Foulke protested to the officials that Southampton's equalizing goal should not have been allowed. Foulke left his...
, 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 was also in goal for United when they suffered an FA Cup exit to Second Division Burslem Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in 1898.
He then moved to Chelsea for a fee of £50 and was made club captain. Foulke by now was remarkably temperamental. If he thought his defenders were not trying hard enough, he would walk off the field. Opposing forwards who incurred his displeasure would be picked up and thrown bodily into his goal. He was, however, a great crowd puller, and Chelsea decided to exploit this. To draw even more attention to his size, they placed two small boys behind his goal in an effort to distract the opposition even more. The boys would sometimes run and return the ball when it went out of play, and quite by accident, ball boys came into being. Foulke stayed for just one season before moving to his final club, Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
.
Foulke died in 1916 and was buried in Burngreave cemetery, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. His death certificate gives "cirrhosis
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function...
" as the major cause of death. The stories of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
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
Mitchell and Kenyon
The Mitchell & Kenyon film company was a pioneer of early commercial movies based in Blackburn in Lancashire, England at the start of the 20th century...
films, playing in a match on 6 September 1902.
Trivia
- The football chant "Who Ate All the Pies?Who Ate All the Pies?"Who Ate All the Pies?" is a football chant sung by fans in Britain. It is usually sung to the tune of "Knees Up Mother Brown" and is aimed at overweight footballers, officials or opposing supporters.-Background and origin:...
" is reputed to have originally been about Foulke.
- The English progressive rock band Big Big TrainBig Big TrainBig Big Train is an English progressive rock band that was founded in 1990. Based in Bournemouth, England, the band members are Nick D'Virgilio, Dave Gregory, David Longdon, Andy Poole and Gregory Spawton....
included a song about Foulke, "Fat Billy Shouts Mine," on their EP Far Skies Deep Time.
Career stats
| Club | Season | Division | League Apps | FA Cup Apps | Other Apps | Total Apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
1894–95 1894-95 in English football The 1894–95 season was the 24th season of competitive football in England.-Football League:Following the collapse of Middlesbrough Ironopolis and the resignation of Northwich Victoria, three new teams were admitted to the Second Division, bringing it to 16 teams... |
Division 1 | 29 | 3 | 5 | 37 |
| 1895–96 1895-96 in English football The 1895–96 season was the 25th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Loughborough replaced Walsall Town Swifts in the Second Division.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... |
Division 1 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 34 | |
| 1896–97 1896-97 in English football The 1896–97 season was the 26th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Aston Villa became the second team to complete "the Double" of winning the Football League Championship and the FA Cup. No other team would complete the double for 64 years.The Cup Final was played on 10 April... |
Division 1 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 31 | |
| 1897–98 1897-98 in English football The 1897–98 season was the 27th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... |
Division 1 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 31 | |
| 1898–99 1898-99 in English football The 1898–99 season was the 28th season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the first season in which automatic promotion/relegation was introduced between the First and Second divisions. Both Divisions were expanded to 18 teams.... |
Division 1 | 32 | 9 | 1 | 42 | |
| 1899–1900 | Division 1 | 33 | 5 | 2 | 40 | |
| 1900–01 1900-01 in English football The 1900–01 season was the 30th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Stockport County played their first season in the football league. Blackpool also returned to the league, at the expenses of Loughborough and Luton Town.-Honours:... |
Division 1 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 36 | |
| 1901–02 1901-02 in English football The 1901–02 season was the 31st season of competitive football in England.-League changes:Doncaster Rovers and Burton United replaced Walsall and Burton Swifts in the Football League. Burton United were formed by a merger of Burton Swifts with former League side Burton Wanderers... |
Division 1 | 26 | 9 | 0 | 35 | |
| 1902–03 1902-03 in English football The 1902–03 season was the 32nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition-First Division:-Second Division:... |
Division 1 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 25 | |
| 1903–04 1903-04 in English football The 1903–04 season was the 33rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:For the first time ever, a London team, Woolwich Arsenal, is promoted to the First Division and makes the League's reach nationwide... |
Division 1 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 31 | |
| 1904–05 1904-05 in English football The 1904–05 season was the 34th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Stockport County were replaced by Doncaster Rovers in the Second Division.... |
Division 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
1905–06 1905-06 in English football The 1905–06 season was the 35th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Following the increase in size of the Football League from 36 clubs to 40, and with Doncaster Rovers having been relegated from the Second Division, four new clubs were elected into the league, along with Stockport... |
Division 2 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 35 |
| Bradford City Bradford City A.F.C. Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two.... |
1905–06 1905-06 in English football The 1905–06 season was the 35th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Following the increase in size of the Football League from 36 clubs to 40, and with Doncaster Rovers having been relegated from the Second Division, four new clubs were elected into the league, along with Stockport... |
Division 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1906–07 1906-07 in English football The 1906–07 season was the 36th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:-First Division:-Second Division:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = PointsReferences... |
Division 2 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 23 | |
| Total | 355 | 44 | 12 | 411 | ||
Honours
- First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
- Champions: 1898
- Runner-up: 1897 and 1900
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- Winner: 18991899 FA Cup FinalThe 1899 FA Cup Final was contested by Sheffield United and Derby County at Crystal Palace. Sheffield United won 4–1, with goals scored by John Almond, Walter Bennett, Billy Beer and Fred Priest. John Boag scored Derby's goal.-Match details:...
, 19021902 FA Cup FinalThe 1902 FA Cup Final was contested by Sheffield United and Southampton at Crystal Palace. The match finished 1–1 after extra time, with the goals scored by Alf Common for Sheffield United and Harry Wood for Southampton.... - Finalist: 19011901 FA Cup FinalThe 1901 FA Cup Final was played at Crystal Palace between Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United–and the first FA Cup Final to be filmed by Pathé News.-Match details:-Replay:-Match Rules:*90 minutes....
- Winner: 1899