Fran Watters was an Ireland international footballer. Watters played for several clubs in the League of Ireland and in 1925–26 scored 15 goals for Shelbourne, helping them win their first ever League of Ireland title.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francis Watters | ||
| Position(s) | Centre Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Olympia | |||
| 19xx–1926 | Shelbourne | ||
| 1926–1927 | Brideville | ||
| Drumcondra | |||
| 1928–19xx | Shamrock Rovers | ||
| International career | |||
| 1926 | Ireland | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
editOlympia
editIn 1917–18, together with Jack McCarthy, Watters was a member of the Olympia team that won both the Leinster Junior Cup and Leinster Senior Cup and reached the final of the IFA Junior Cup. In the Leinster Senior Cup final against Shelbourne, Watters scored the only goal in a 1–0 win.[1]
League of Ireland
editIn the 1925–26 season while playing for Shelbourne, Watters formed a successful partnership with John Simpson. Between them Watters and Simpson scored 32 goals, helping Shelbourne win their first League of Ireland title. Watters 15 goals also saw him called up to the Ireland squad. The following season, he played for Brideville and helped them reach the 1926–27 FAI Cup final which they lost 1–0 after a replay to Drumcondra. In 1928–29 Watters joined Shamrock Rovers. On 28 October 1928 he scored a hat–trick for Rovers in an 11–0 win against Bray Unknowns. John Joe Flood also scored a hat–trick while Bob Fullam scored twice. This result remains Rovers all-time record win.[2][3][4][5]
Ireland international
editOn 21 March 1926, while playing for Shelbourne, Watters made his one and only appearance for Ireland in an away friendly against Italy. Watters was originally included in the squad as a reserve. However, when Ned Brooks had to withdraw due to the death of his son, Watters found himself in the starting eleven.[6][7][8][9]
Honours
edit- Leinster Senior Cup
- Winners: 1917–18[citation needed]
- Leinster Junior Cup
- Winners: 1917–18[citation needed]
- IFA Junior Cup
- Runners Up: 1917–18[citation needed]
- League of Ireland
- Winners: 1925–26[citation needed]
- FAI Cup
- Runners Up: 1926–27[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ David Needham: Ireland's First Real World Cup -The Story of the 1924 Ireland Olympic Football Team (2012, The Manuscript Publisher) ISBN 978-0-9571157-2-9
- ^ A Beautiful Friendship
- ^ Graham, Alex (2005). Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921-2005. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-86223-135-4.
- ^ "www.shamrockrovers.ie". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ Paul Doolan, Robert Goggins (1993). The Hoops. Gill & MacmillanLtd. ISBN 0-7171-2121-6.
- ^ 100 Years of Shelbourne Internationals
- ^ www.soccerscene.ie
- ^ Cullen, Donal (2007). Freestaters: The Republic of Ireland Soccer Team 1921–1939. Dessert Islands Books.
- ^ Ryan, Sean (1997). The Boys In Green: The FAI International Story. Mainstream Publishing.