Frederick Horsman (12 December 1889 – 15 May 1959) was an English professional footballer who played as a full back and made 138 appearances in the Football League for Watford[3] and Doncaster Rovers.[4]

Fred Horsman
Personal information
Full name Frederick Horsman
Date of birth (1889-12-12)12 December 1889
Place of birth Leeds, England
Date of death 15 May 1959(1959-05-15) (aged 69)
Place of death Watford, England
Height 5 ft 10+12 in (1.79 m)[1]
Position(s) Full back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1909 Ilkeston United[2]
1910–1912 Mansfield Town
1913–1914 Grantham Avenue
1919–1924 Watford 132 (0)
1924–1925 Doncaster Rovers 38 (0)
1925 Peterborough & Fletton United
1925 Luton Town
1925–1927 Ashford Railway Works
1927–1928 Chatham
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Prior to World War I he played for two seasons with Mansfield Town as they moved from the Notts & Derbyshire League on to the Central Alliance for the 1911–12 season. He then played for Grantham Avenue who were the 1913–14 Central Alliance runners-up.[5]

After the end of the war he joined Watford for a five season spell:[6] in the first season, when he played in 32 league matches, they were runners-up of the Southern League Division 1 and then the club joined the newly formed Football League Third Division South. He played in Watford's first ever Football League match, a 2–1 win against Queens Park Rangers on 28 August 1920.[7] Whilst with Watford he was picked for an F.A. representative side to play Cambridge University.[3] After leaving Watford he played for Football League Third Division North club Doncaster Rovers for the 1924–25 season.[4]

He started the 1925–26 season with Peterborough & Fletton United but shortly moved on to Luton Town where he played reserve team football during his two month stay. His registration with Luton was cancelled by mid December 1925[8] and later that month he was playing with Kent League club Ashford Railway Works.[9] He was team captain of the Railway Works team for the 1926–27 campaign.[10] Thereafter he played throughout the 1927–28 season with Chatham featuring in their Kent League reserves team.[11]

In an interview published in October 1926 he stated that he had gained experience prior to World War I with Notts County and in his career he was selected on two occasions for the Southern League representative team.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "League clubs and their players for the coming season. Doncaster Rovers". Athletic News. Manchester. 4 August 1924. p. 3.
  2. ^ "Football: Teams for Tomorrow: Derby and District League: Derby Trinity v. Ilkeston United Res". Nottingham Evening Post. 26 November 1909. p. 3.
  3. ^ a b "Frederick Horsman". watfordfcarchive.co.uk. Watford Football Club Archive. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Doncater Rovers: Review of a "Mixed Grill" Season". Star Green 'un. 2 May 1925. p. 3.
  5. ^ "Grantham Avenue Football Club". Grantham Journal. 4 July 1914. p. 2.
  6. ^ Jones, Trefor (1996). The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who. p. 124. ISBN 0-9527458-1-X.
  7. ^ Jones, Trefor (1998). Watford Season by Season. Watford Football Club. pp. 62–71. ISBN 0-9527458-1-X.
  8. ^ "Football League: Transfer Fees and Registrations". Lancashire Evening Post. 14 December 1925. p. 5.
  9. ^ "Where Sheppey Did Not Shine: Ashford's Easy Task". Sheerness Times Guardian. 17 December 1925. p. 8.
  10. ^ a b "Ashford Footballers: Fred Horsman, of Ashford Railway Works". Kent Messenger & Gravesend Telegraph. 9 October 1926. p. 6.
  11. ^ "Football: Margate Win Away". Thanet Advertiser. 8 October 1927. p. 3.