Frank
Becton |
Preston North End
FC, Liverpool FC
2 appearances, 2 debut goals
P 2 W 2 D 0 L 0 F 13:
A 0
100% successful
1895-97
captain: none
minutes played: 180 |
 |
Profile |
Full name |
Francis Becton |
Born |
28 October 1873 in Preston, Lancashire [registered as Francis
Bectif, Preston, December 1873]. |
Notes |
Becton is said to be born on 11th May 1873
which is incorrect. No entry for that date of birth exists at the General
Record Office. In the 1891 Census, a Frank Becton (born abt 1874) appears
with his parents Martin and Margaret. This traces to the birth certificate
of a Francis BECTIF - listed in the last quarter of the 1873. GRO index.
Illiteracy probably explains this anomaly. His actual date of birth was 28
October 1873. - Paul Plowman (Swindon Town FC Historian). |
Census Notes |
According to the 1881
census, Francis is the third of six children to Irish parents, Martin and
Margaret. They live at 3 Old Lodge Street in Preston. His father is a
general labourer. |
According to the 1891 census,
17 year-old Francis is now one of seven children living at home at 44 Croft Street, Preston. Now
a loomer at the cotton mill. |
According to the 1901 census,
Frank is now married to Maria, with a single daughter, Clara (born in
Heeley, Derbyshire), living at 50 Croft Street. Frank is a Cotton Weaver. |
Married |
to Maria
Richardson
[registered in September 1897]. |
Died |
6 November 1909
in Villiers Street, Preston, Lancashire, aged
36 years 9 days
[registered in Preston, November 1909]. Becton died of
consumption of the bowels. |
Height/Weight |
not known |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], LFC History & FindMyPast.com |
Club Career |
Club(s) |
Played junior
football in Preston before joining Fishwick Ramblers FC in 1889. Becton
joined Preston North End FC in 1891. Made 87 league appearances and
scored 37
goals. He joined Liverpool FC in March 1895 for £100, making seventy league appearances and
scoring 38 goals. Onto Sheffield United
FC in October 1898 for eleven league appearances and three goals. Bedminster FC in
1899, but he returned to Deepdale for another season in September 1900
for another 26
league appearances and nine goals. Becton signed for Swindon Town
FC on 23 August 1901 and made 41
Southern League appearances and scored nine goals. He moved onto Nelson FC, Ashton Town FC
on 15 September 1903 and finally, New Brighton
Tower FC. He retired in 1905 due to ill-health. |
Club honours |
Football League
Division Two winners 1895-96; |
Individual honours |
Football League
(two appearances) |
Distinctions |
None |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
England Career |
Player number |
One of four
who became 218th players (221) to appear for England. |
Position(s) |
Inside-right/left |
First match |
No. 53, 9 March 1895, England 9 Ireland 0, a
British Championship match at
Derbyshire County Cricket
Ground, Nottingham Road, Derby, aged
21 years
132 days.  |
Last match |
No. 60, 29 March 1897, England 4 Wales 0, a
British Championship match at
Bramall Lane, Highfield, Sheffield, aged
23 years 152 days. |
Major tournaments |
British
Championship 1894-95, 1896-97; |
Team honours |
British
Championship winner 1894-95; |
Individual honours |
None |
Distinctions |
None |
Beyond England |
One of the best-travelled pre-1914
players and retired due to ill-health. After retiring, returned to
the cotton mills -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.30. |