English footballer
Frank Booth (September 1882 – 22 June 1919), also known as 'Tabby',[3] was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Stockport County, Manchester City and Bury.[1] He played in the outside left position. He had two spells as a Manchester City player between 1902 and 1906 and in 1911. In total he made 98 appearances for the team and scored 18 goals. He also won one cap for England.
Career
Booth began his football career playing for Glossop and Stockport County.[2][4]
Manchester City
In 1902 he joined Manchester City, a team which included the prolific Scottish centre forward Billie Gillespie and Welsh outside right Billy Meredith. He played 9 games in his first season for the club and helped earn the team promotion into the first division.[2]
In the 1903–04 season Booth made 30 appearances and scored 4 goals.[2] His first goal for the Manchester team came in a 4–1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.[5] Manchester City finished in second place that season, 3 points behind champions Sheffield Wednesday.[6] The team also reached the final of the FA Cup where the defeated Bolton Wanderers 1–0 with a goal from Billy Meredith.[6]
In the 1904–05 football season Booth scored 8 goals in 35 games for City and helped the team to third place in the league,[2] two points behind champions Newcastle United.[6] In the same season Booth won his only international cap for England in a 1–1 draw with Ireland.[2] In the 1905–06 season he scored 7 goals in 29 appearances for City and the team finished fifth.[2][6] At the end of the season the Football Association conducted an investigation into the finances of Manchester City and it was found that the team had made extra payments to all of their players.[2] As a consequence Tom Maley was banned from football for life and 17 players were fined and suspended until January 1907.[2] Manchester City were forced to sell their players and Frank Booth was sold to Bury in 1906.[2]
Bury, Clyde
In two seasons at Bury Booth appeared 58 times and scored 4 goals.[2] He then played for Clyde in the Scottish Football League,[2] playing in their 1911 Scottish Cup Final defeat to Dundee (he scored in the first game of the tie, which was eventually settled after a second replay).[7]
Return to Manchester City
In the 1911–12 football season Booth returned to Manchester City and made four appearances before retiring.[2]
Personal life
Booth was married with two children.[2] In December 1915, over a year after the outbreak of the First World War, Booth attested under the Derby Scheme.[2] He was called into the Royal Garrison Artillery in April 1917 and after service in Britain, he was posted to France in March 1918.[2] After the armistice, Booth returned to Britain in February 1919, but died of an inoperable heart tumour at Manchester Royal Infirmary on 22 June 1919.[2] He was buried in a military grave in Denton Cemetery.[8]
