With thanks to Steve Harris for highlighting this story to which with Graham Hunt he contributed local knowledge:
Blackwell Colliery FC: The William trilogy
This article is taken completely from www.footballbh.net..thanks to them too!
By Roger West -September 8, 20220
There’s nothing unusual about
the Christian name of William, in fact there’s been plenty of Williams around
for centuries; quite a few of them famous in their own field.
Shakespeare, the Conqueror, Shatner, Wallace, Wordsworth, Tell, Makepeace-Thackeray, even a Prince or two, and let’s not forget the mercurial South African-born British entrepreneur, Sir William Heygate Edmund Colbourne Butlin MBE.
There’s a Blackwell in
Worcestershire, and in fact there are two Blackwells in the county of
Derbyshire.
The Primrose Hill footballing
facilities attracted the young Layton during his leisure time where he
established himself as a notable junior footballer in this humble coal mining
community.
As part of the famous three L’s of Layton, Langley and Lyall, Willy remained rock solid as an ever-present member at the heart of Wednesday’s defence for over ten seasons helping the Owls to two League Championships of 1902/03, & 1903/04, and a Football Association Cup semi-final appearance at Goodison Park in 1904 losing to eventual winners Manchester City.
Willy Layton was in the Sheffield Wednesday team that won the 1905 Sheriff of London Charity Shield when they overcame The Corinthians 2-1 at Crystal Palace in April of that year.
The Football Association Cup eventually became possession of The Wednesday in 1907 when they beat arch-rivals Everton 2-1 also held at the Crystal Palace with Layton playing in all seven of their cup ties en-route to the final.
His final appearance for the Owls was against Tottenham Hotspur in September 1909 after four goals over 362 appearances that covered thirteen seasons.
Although never receiving international recognition he did represent the Football League against the Irish League at the Solitude, Belfast in November 1900 winning the match by four goals to two.
Upon retirement from the game and after rejecting an offer from the Midlands League club Worksop Town, non-league Whitwell St Lawrence FC did secure his signature and was the last team Willie ever strapped his boots on for, and it was Whitwell where he became Licensed Victualler of The Butchers Arms.
His decision to stay loyal to the Wednesday made Willy an immensely popular figure in parochial circles throughout his career, never forgotten for the unique scissor kick he would often employ to clear his line.
Willy Layton died in Lithgow, NSW, Australia in 1944 aged 69 years where ironically he had returned to working in the coal mine.
James William Simmons came
into the world on the 27th June 1889 to parents Isiaha and Elizabeth, the only
one of our footballing trilogy of William’s that was born in Blackwell.
He was registered in
Mansfield with the surname of Simmonds probably due to some literacy failing
and after a brief few years of schooling a lifetime working underground in the
pit beckoned which seemed the natural progression for him like most of the
village lads.
Yet Jim, or Jimmy as he was known was blessed with natural footballing talents signing on the dotted line for Sheffield United on 18th November 1908 at 19 years of age; recommended to the club by an uncle for a £50.00 donation.
Born in Dawley Shropshire on
April 12th 1874, he was taken (at just one-month-old) along with his
four-year-old brother Thomas to live with their Grandparents James and Jane to
the developing coal mining parish of Blackwell.
Foulke and his elder brother Thomas attended the Colliery School were they remained until the age of 13 completing a few short years of conventional tuition and it was fully expected both brothers would also find employment in the local coal mine.
The two Foulke boys were often found to be playing their football for Blackwell Colliery on what was then their home turf of The Scanderlands and both showed much prowess in their whites as local cricketers too.
It was here at Scanderlands that word travelled about the Blackwell goalkeeper who it was said was destined for great things.
A tall and lanky slim teenager at the time, William reached nearer seven foot than six foot being described as strong, agile enough to drop down for the low shots, ever willing to leave his line to perform as an extra defender.
At the age of 19, William Foulke was the ever-present and consistent first team sentinel throughout the 1892/93 season were Blackwell, now playing in the Derbyshire League, triumphed over all before them with brother Thomas at the other end of the pitch shaping up as a strong, aggressive formidable centre forward.
It was a rough-house of a goalkeeping apprenticeship for William with fist fights and sending off’s a regular treat for the hardy mining supporters as the Colliery team went from strength to strength at the parochial level.
Several First Division clubs had been advised to come and see this developing goalie but it was a Sheffield United director by the name of Joseph Tomlinson, a nifty centre forward in his time who was quickest off the block.
During the year of 1893, Blackwell Colliery and a Derby County X1 were involved in a friendly match with Foulke’s in goal protecting his area against a forceful Ram’s spearhead.
John Goodall joined in the Derby attack and rising to meet a cross with his head Foulke’s was off his line at lightning speed to clear the danger.
However, the punch was missed timed and with his fist whipping through fresh air he made contact with Goodall’s cheekbone dislodging a couple of teeth from the ex-Preston and England player’s mouth.
This story of how the young Foulke’s defended his goal in the face of dogged opposition spread far and wide and it was during a Blackwell v Matlock fixture the following year when Mr Swaine, the official of that game was equally impressed with William’s defensive skills in goal.
Referee Swaine, a personal friend of Joseph Tomlinson went straight to Bramall Lane to boast of the youngster’s talent with Tomlinson insisting to the committee “We must have him.”
Sheffield United had to act fast to sign Foulke’s with interest coming from rivals Derby County and Nottingham Forest; an offer coming within the week which was too good to turn down.
Blackwell Colliery would receive £20.00 from the transfer plus a £1.00 a day retainer until the end of the season and William himself would receive £5.00, a not to shabby amount in its day.
This was William Foulke’s “Willy Wonka” golden ticket out of the coal mine.
The summer of 1900 witnessed William Henry Foulke play cricket four times for Derbyshire, that same year was also the Relief of Mafeking, Boxer Rebellion. The first flight of the Zeppelin, it was also the year that witnessed the launch of the Daily Express, the Olympic Games were held in Paris and Sheffield United finished Runners-up to Aston Villa; it was also the halfway point of Foulke’s soccer career.
Many tales abound of this legendary goalkeeping phenomenon who stood at six feet seven inches tall and in his latter sporting years weighed over twenty stone as a footballer (due it was said of a penchant for high living), some of these tales are true and some that may have gathered “expansion” down the seasons destined for the rumour mill.
One such tale is that he was the target of the soccer anthem, “Who ate all the pies,” however it is now believed this chant was developed and sung well after Foulke’s death in 1916.
Another tale was that at the end of the first match in the 1902 FA Cup Final, Foulke protested to the officials that Southampton’s equalising goal should never have been allowed. He left his dressing room completely naked and so incensed pursued Tom Kirkham, the match referee, who took refuge in a broom cupboard. Foulke had to be stopped by a group of FA officials from wrenching the cupboard from it hinges to reach the frightened official.
It was always argued that the frailty of his temperament denied him more than the one England cap he truly deserved.
Fortunately Sheffield United won the replay 2-1 with Foulke having to perform at his very best to keep the Blades in the contest.
He left Bramall Lane Sheffield in 1905 after 299 appearances and was transferred to Chelsea for £50.00 were he was made captain and became a great crowd-puller with his unusual off-ball antics.
After 34 appearances for the London club he moved to Bradford City were he turned out 22 times, all told Foulke made 355 career appearances before disappearing from professional football.
During his retirement, Foulke kept a shop in Matilda Street Sheffield and was also a keeper of a “beer house.”
Sadly Foulke, a kind and gentle man, with a hint of eccentricity died at the very young age of 42 in May 1916 and is buried in Burngreave cemetery within the city that gave him the release from a lifetime of hard graft down the coal mine.
Utmost thanks for assistance in compiling this article are extended to;
Peter Law/Sheffield Wednesday
FC.
Shaneque/Bradford City FC
Stuart Basson/Chesterfield
Town FC
John Garrett/Sheffield United
FC
Graham Phythian author of
Colossus, the true story of WILLIAM FOULKE
And also to Stephen Harris
& Graham Hunt for their local knowledge
Without the help from these
people, this article would never have materialised.