ALL BETTS NOW

Got another book on football for Christmas. Graham Betts has painstakingly gathered details of every England international from 1872 to present. Its a belter. From the "unofficial internationals", early on, to the present day, I can find out all sorts of stuff about our brave internationals.

First man up alphabetically is Walter Abbott who made his debut on 3rd March 1902 v Wales havinf been spotted playing for Everton. He also played for the Football League team and was awarded two FA Cup medals with Everton, a runners up in 1906 and a winners one in 1907. His career went from Rosewood Victoria, Small Heath (later Birmingham City), Everton, Burnley and back to Birmingham City, by then named properly!Injury curtailed his progress and his son Walter played for Grimsby Town after the First World War.

Last named was Robert Lester Zamora whose career spanned Bristol Rovers, Bath City, Brighton, Tottenham, West Ham, Fulham, QPR and Brighton again. His debut was against Hungary in August 2010; he made two appearances.

There are 3 "I"s.....Paul Ince, Danny Ings and James Iremonger, who has been mentioned before, two "Q"s.....Alfred Quantrill of Derby and Preston when in international form in the 1920s, he was the son-in-law of Steve Bloomer.....please don't say you have never heard of Steve. The third is Albert Quixall who played for England when at Sheffield Wednesday.

The first professional to gain an England cap was James Forrest of Blackburn Rovers who won his first cap v Wales in March 1884, playing 11 times

and the well known writer Bernard Joy was an amateur playing for Arsenal when he won his cap against Belgium on May 9th 1936, the last amateur to play for England. He wrote for the Evening Standard and Daily Express.

AND on the 28th December 2008 Albert Stubbins died. He appeared once for England in an unofficial match during the Victory Internationals after the First World War. His fame is that he appears on the Beatles "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". The only footballer included. WHY? Born in Wallsend he played for Newcastle United and during the war he worked for the Royal Ordnance engineering factory and gathered 240 goals in 172 appearances. Sold to Liverpool in September 1946 he continued to score goals and win medals until 1953, when he signed for Ashington in the non-league. More about him on the link...can you find him?
https://ahalftimereport.com/2015/12/11/albert-stubbins-sgt-peppers/