Billy Bassett

Infobox Football biography
playername = Billy Bassett


fullname = William Isiah Bassett
nickname =
dateofbirth = Birth date|1869|1|27|df=yes
cityofbirth = West Bromwich
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1937|4|9|1869|1|27|df=yes
cityofdeath = West Bromwich
countryofdeath = England
height = 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
position = Outside right
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1886–1899
clubs = West Bromwich Albion
caps(goals) =
nationalyears = 1888–1896
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 16 (7)

William Isiah Bassett (27 January 1869 – 8 April 1937) was an English association footballer, director and club chairman who served West Bromwich Albion for over half a century.

Biography

Playing career

Born in West Bromwich, at only 5 foot 5 inch (1.65 m), Bassett was initially considered too frail for a professional player. Establishing himself as a winger in various local amateur sides, he joined West Bromwich Albion in 1886. He played 261 games for the club, scoring 61 goals and winning 16 England caps (scoring 8 goals), becoming one of the game's earliest celebrities. On 28 April, 1894, Bassett became the first ever Albion player to be sent off: he was dismissed for using "unparliamentary language" in a friendly match away at Millwall. [Cite book
last = Matthews
first = Tony
coauthors=Mackenzie, Colin
title = Albion! A Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion 1879-1987
publisher = Breedon Books
date = 1987
pages = p295
isbn = 0-907969-23-2] Bassett made his 311th and final competitive appearance for Albion on the last day of the 1898–99 season, lining up in a 7–1 defeat away against Aston Villa. [cite book
last=Matthews
first=Tony
title=West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record
publisher=Breedon Books
year=2007
pages=p194
isbn=978-1-85983-565-4]

Director and chairman

Bassett became an Albion director in 1905, following the resignation of the previous board in its entirety. The club was in deep financial trouble and had had a writ served upon them by their bank, but Bassett and returning chairman Harry Keys rescued the club, aided by local fund-raising activities. [McOwan p33–34.] Bassett became chairman in 1908, and helped the club to avoid bankruptcy once more in 1910 by paying the players' summer wages from his own pocket. [McOwan p34–35.] He remained Albion's chair until his death.

His activities in the wider footballing world let him to take an active role in the development of both the Football Association and the Football League. The strength of England's rivalry with Scotland had led Bassett to develop a "distaste" for Scots during his playing days, and throughout his 29-year chairmanship Albion did not sign a single Scottish player.cite video
people = Adrian Chiles (presenter)
year2 = 2005
title = Full Throstle: The Official History of West Bromwich Albion
url = http://www.pdimedia.co.uk/
medium = DVD
publisher = Paul Doherty International
location = Manchester, England
accessdate = 2008-01-25
time = 18:20
id = Cat No. WBADVD05]

Billy Bassett died in West Bromwich on 8 April 1937 at the age of 68. Two days after his death, a minutes silence was held prior to Albion's 4–1 defeat to Preston North End in the FA Cup semi-final at Highbury. The Albion players were clearly affected, with Teddy Sandford saying: [McOwan p55.]

More than 100,000 people lined the streets of West Bromwich for Bassett's funeral procession.

In 1998 he was listed among the Football League 100 Legends, [Cite news
title=Football Legends list in full
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/144986.stm
publisher=BBC News
date=1998-08-05
accessdate=2007-11-11] while in 2004 he was named as one of West Bromwich Albion's 16 greatest players, in a poll organised as part of the club's 125th anniversary celebrations. [cite news
date=2004-11-17
url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~547701,00.html
title=The wraps come off 125th anniversary mural
publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
accessdate=2007-11-11]

Honours

;West Bromwich Albion
*FA Cup winner: 1888

Notes

References

* [http://www.englandstats.com/playerreport.php?pid=84 England profile]
*cite book| last=McOwan | first=Gavin | title=The Essential History of West Bromwich Albion | publisher=Headline | year=2002 | isbn=0-7553-1146-9