Frank Jackson Latimer (3 October 1923 – November 1994) was an English professional footballer who made over 170 appearances as a utility player in the Football League for Brentford.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frank Jackson Latimer[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 3 October 1923 | ||
| Place of birth | Sunderland, England | ||
| Date of death | November 1994 (aged 71)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Durham, England | ||
| Position(s) | Utility player | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1945 | Snowdown Colliery Welfare | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1945–1956 | Brentford | 171 | (3) |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | |||
| Snowdown Colliery Welfare | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career edit
Brentford edit
A defender, Latimer was signed by Brentford in November 1945 from non-League club Snowdown Colliery Welfare.[1] He played in the reserve team during the 1945–46 and 1946–47 seasons and made his professional debut at the end of the latter campaign, in a 1–0 defeat to Arsenal at Griffin Park on 26 May 1947, which condemned the Bees to relegation from the First Division.[2] Latimer began the 1947–48 Second Division season as a first choice at the back, but was dropped in December 1947 and failed to appear again until September 1949, when he regained his place in the team.[2] Latimer found himself dropped again in January 1951 and failed to appear for over a year, before managing five appearances in the second half of the 1951–52 season.[2]
Latimer made 33 appearances during the 1952–53 season and was pressed into service as an inside left during the latter part of the campaign.[3] He scored his only goals for the club within the space of a week in March 1953, with two in a 3–2 win over Leicester City and a consolation in a 4–1 defeat to West Ham United.[2] Latimer made a career-high 39 appearances during the 1953–54 season, playing left back in a disastrous campaign which ended with relegation to the Third Division South.[2] Latimer played on until the end of the 1955–56 season and played the final 10 games of the season as a centre half, with his final appearance for the club coming in a 2–2 draw with Walsall on 31 March 1956.[2] He made 186 appearances and scored three goals during his decade as a first team player with the Bees.[3]
Non-League football edit
In 1956, Latimer dropped into non-League football and joined Southern League club Gravesend & Northfleet.[3] He later returned to Kent League First Division club Snowdown Colliery Welfare.[3]
Personal life edit
Latimer worked as a miner before becoming a professional footballer and came to the attention of Brentford manager Harry Curtis when he moved from the Durham coalfield to the Snowdown Colliery in Kent.[3] Latimer returned to his trade after his retirement from football.[3]
Career statistics edit
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brentford | 1946–47[2] | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947–48[2] | Second Division | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| 1949–50[2] | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 1950–51[2] | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| 1951–52[2] | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1952–53[2] | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 3 | ||
| 1953–54[2] | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| 1954–55[2] | Third Division South | 28 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| 1955–56[2] | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 171 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 186 | 3 | ||
References edit
- ^ a b c "Frank Latimer". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 379–383. ISBN 0951526200.
- ^ a b c d e f Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 94. ISBN 978-0955294914.