Frank Osborne (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Frank Raymond Osborne was a professional footballer
who was one of the top forwards of the 1920s, playing for Tottenham Hotspur
and also making four appearances for England
. He subsequently went on to manage Fulham
with whom he was associated for over 50 years.
in 1911, and played youth football at Netley
, near Southampton
. He subsequently moved to London
, joining Bromley
(a Kent amateur side) after the end of World War I
, before he was signed by Phil Kelso
for Football League Second Division
side Fulham
in November 1921 (aged 25).
At Fulham, playing alongside Andy Ducat
and Frank Penn
, he was top scorer in 1922-23 accounting for 10 of the team's 43 league goals, in what was generally a low-scoring season in Division Two. His goal-scoring exploits in a weak Fulham side brought him to the notice of the England
selectors who picked him for the matches against Northern Ireland
on 21 October 1922 (won 2-0) and France
on 10 May 1923 (won 4-1), although he failed to score in either match. He thus became the first Fulham player to be capped by England.
Financial pressures led to his transfer to Football League First Division
side Tottenham Hotspur
for £1,500 in January 1924. Osborne spent two years at Fulham, making 70 appearances and scoring 18 goals.
however, playing alongside Jimmy Dimmock
and Jack Elkes
, he struck a rich vein of form scoring three hat trick
s in the space of two weeks in October/November 1925, finishing the season as the club's top scorer on 25 goals.
On 24 May 1926, he was again selected for the England match in Antwerp against Belgium where he finally brought his goal-scoring talents to the national stage, scoring a hat-trick as England came from 3-2 down to take the match 5-3.
In 1928, despite Osborne's 18 goals, Spurs were relegated to the Second Division. In the first season in the lower division Spurs continued to struggle, finishing in mid-table with Osborne again top-scorer on 16. In June 1931, he was sold to fellow Second Division side Southampton
for a fee of £450, surprisingly large for a player now in his mid-30s. In his Spurs career he played a total of 220 matches, scoring 82 goals.
, failing to score either in the league or cup. In May 1932, the club were suffering serious financial problems and Osborne was placed on the transfer list as manager George Kay
attempted to trim the wages bill, as Osborne's "wages of £8 in the winter and £6 in the summer were considered to be too extravagant". At this stage Osborne contemplated retirement, but remained at The Dell for a further season before returning to London in 1933 to work as a sales representative for Fulham
chairman John Dean's company in Putney
. In his brief Saints career he made twenty appearances, failing to score.
, thus beginning an involvement with the club that would continue, in various roles, right up to his death over fifty years later.
When manager Jack Peart
died in September 1948, the board offered the position to Frank Osborne, who reluctantly accepted. From 1948 until his retirement in November 1964 at the age of 68, Osborne had some managerial responsibility at the Cottage, either solely or with a team manager, whilst he became general manager or secretary manager.
His was a unique career, matched only in its longevity by his former playing colleague and subsequently trainer, Frank Penn
. The two made their debuts within two years of each other (Penn was the earlier) and they retired with in six months of each other (Penn was the later).
Although a player of some renown in his day, Osborne was not a track-suited manager. Intensely superstitious and fond of practising his golf swing in his Cottage office, he steered Fulham to the Second Division title in his first season, with the assistance of team manager Eddie Perry.
For the next four seasons, Osborne was the general manager and assumed responsibilities for the team again in 1953 for another couple of years until the next team manager was appointed. Whilst he was not necessary in charge of team affairs, Osborne was the key figure at Craven Cottage
throughout the post-war period right up to his retirement.
Once he left, he never returned, and lived quietly at his Epsom
home until his death at the age of 91 in March 1988.
whilst Reg
was a left-back with Leicester City
, who made one England
appearance in 1927.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who was one of the top forwards of the 1920s, playing for Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and also making four appearances for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He subsequently went on to manage Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
with whom he was associated for over 50 years.
Fulham
Although born in South Africa, Osborne moved to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1911, and played youth football at Netley
Netley
Netley, sometimes called Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England, situated on the east side of the city of Southampton...
, near Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. He subsequently moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, joining Bromley
Bromley F.C.
Bromley Football Club are an English football club based in Bromley, in Greater London, England. They currently play in the Conference South, and play their home matches at Hayes Lane.-Early years:...
(a Kent amateur side) after the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, before he was signed by Phil Kelso
Phil Kelso
Phil Wade Kelso , born in Largs on the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, was a Scottish football manager.Kelso was manager of Hibernian for one season, before taking over as manager of newly-promoted Woolwich Arsenal in 1904...
for Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
side Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in November 1921 (aged 25).
At Fulham, playing alongside Andy Ducat
Andy Ducat
Andrew Ducat was an England and Surrey cricketer and an England footballer, being one of an elite group to have represented their country in both sports.-Cricket career:...
and Frank Penn
Frank Penn (footballer)
Frank Penn was a football player and one-club man for Fulham. He joined the club in 1915 and, 19 years later played his last game for them in 1934, against West Ham United. By this time, he had played 460 times for the club, at the time a club record, which since then has only been surpassed by...
, he was top scorer in 1922-23 accounting for 10 of the team's 43 league goals, in what was generally a low-scoring season in Division Two. His goal-scoring exploits in a weak Fulham side brought him to the notice of the England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
selectors who picked him for the matches against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
on 21 October 1922 (won 2-0) and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
on 10 May 1923 (won 4-1), although he failed to score in either match. He thus became the first Fulham player to be capped by England.
Financial pressures led to his transfer to Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
side Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
for £1,500 in January 1924. Osborne spent two years at Fulham, making 70 appearances and scoring 18 goals.
Tottenham Hotspur
He made a slow start to his Tottenham career, scoring only once in his first season and a half, although he was again selected for England against Belgium on 8 December 1924 (won 4-0). In 1925-261925-26 in English football
The 1925–26 season was the 51st season of competitive football in England. This marked the year that Huddersfield Town won the League three years running, making them the first team in Football League history to do so.-Honours:-First Division:...
however, playing alongside Jimmy Dimmock
Jimmy Dimmock
James Henry "Jimmy" Dimmock was a footballer who scored the winning goal for Tottenham Hotspur in the 1921 FA Cup Final. He played as a leftwinger and became the fans' favourite with his mazy runs and trickery, and also won three caps for England.-Early years:Born in Edmonton on December 5, 1900....
and Jack Elkes
Jack Elkes
Albert John "Jack" Elkes was an English professional footballer who played as an inside left for various clubs between the two world wars.-Playing career:...
, he struck a rich vein of form scoring three hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
s in the space of two weeks in October/November 1925, finishing the season as the club's top scorer on 25 goals.
On 24 May 1926, he was again selected for the England match in Antwerp against Belgium where he finally brought his goal-scoring talents to the national stage, scoring a hat-trick as England came from 3-2 down to take the match 5-3.
In 1928, despite Osborne's 18 goals, Spurs were relegated to the Second Division. In the first season in the lower division Spurs continued to struggle, finishing in mid-table with Osborne again top-scorer on 16. In June 1931, he was sold to fellow Second Division side Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
for a fee of £450, surprisingly large for a player now in his mid-30s. In his Spurs career he played a total of 220 matches, scoring 82 goals.
Southampton
He was unable to reproduce his goal-scoring form at The DellThe Dell (Southampton F.C.)
The Dell in Milton Road, Southampton, England was the home ground of Southampton Football Club, between 1898 and 2001.-New stadium:Since 1896, Southampton had been tenants of Hampshire County Cricket Club at the County Ground, having vacated the Antelope Ground in the summer of 1896...
, failing to score either in the league or cup. In May 1932, the club were suffering serious financial problems and Osborne was placed on the transfer list as manager George Kay
George Kay
George Kay was an English football player and manager of Luton Town, Southampton and Liverpool.The highlight of his playing career was when he captained West Ham United in the first FA Cup final to be played at Wembley, the so-called White Horse Final.He was manager of Liverpool for 15 years and...
attempted to trim the wages bill, as Osborne's "wages of £8 in the winter and £6 in the summer were considered to be too extravagant". At this stage Osborne contemplated retirement, but remained at The Dell for a further season before returning to London in 1933 to work as a sales representative for Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
chairman John Dean's company in Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
. In his brief Saints career he made twenty appearances, failing to score.
Fulham - Director and manager
In March 1935, he was invited to join 's board of directors, after special dispensation from the Football AssociationThe Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, thus beginning an involvement with the club that would continue, in various roles, right up to his death over fifty years later.
When manager Jack Peart
Jack Peart
John George "Jack" Peart was an English footballer who played centre forward for 13 different teams, in a career which spanned the First World War. After he retired he became a football manager until his death in 1948....
died in September 1948, the board offered the position to Frank Osborne, who reluctantly accepted. From 1948 until his retirement in November 1964 at the age of 68, Osborne had some managerial responsibility at the Cottage, either solely or with a team manager, whilst he became general manager or secretary manager.
His was a unique career, matched only in its longevity by his former playing colleague and subsequently trainer, Frank Penn
Frank Penn (footballer)
Frank Penn was a football player and one-club man for Fulham. He joined the club in 1915 and, 19 years later played his last game for them in 1934, against West Ham United. By this time, he had played 460 times for the club, at the time a club record, which since then has only been surpassed by...
. The two made their debuts within two years of each other (Penn was the earlier) and they retired with in six months of each other (Penn was the later).
Although a player of some renown in his day, Osborne was not a track-suited manager. Intensely superstitious and fond of practising his golf swing in his Cottage office, he steered Fulham to the Second Division title in his first season, with the assistance of team manager Eddie Perry.
For the next four seasons, Osborne was the general manager and assumed responsibilities for the team again in 1953 for another couple of years until the next team manager was appointed. Whilst he was not necessary in charge of team affairs, Osborne was the key figure at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....
throughout the post-war period right up to his retirement.
Once he left, he never returned, and lived quietly at his Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
home until his death at the age of 91 in March 1988.
Family
Frank had two brothers who also played in the Football League. Harold made one appearance for Norwich CityNorwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
whilst Reg
Reg Osborne
Reginald Osborne was a professional footballer who played as a full back for Leicester City in the 1920s and also made one appearance for England.-Playing career:...
was a left-back with Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, who made one England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
appearance in 1927.
As manager
FulhamFulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
- Football League Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
champions: 1948-49