Barrett Bert Image 2 Leytonstone 1922

Description

Stratford, London born left half Bert “Snowball” Barrett had won England Schoolboy honours against Scotland in 1917, also appearing in three English Schools Shield Finals for West Ham Boys, and began his football career with Fairbairn House in 1920 before joining Leytonstone as an amateur in 1921. He was on West Ham United’s books in 1923-24 without making a first team appearance before returning to play for Leytonstone. He won his first England Amateur international cap in May 1923 when he played in a 3-0 defeat to Belgium in Brussels, and in October 1924 he was in The Amateurs’ team in the FA Charity Shield match, playing in a 3-1 defeat to The Professionals at Highbury. A month later he won a second Amateur cap, playing in a 3-2 victory over Ireland at Cliftonville Gardens, Belfast, winning a third cap the same month in a 3-2 victory over South Africa at White Hart Lane.

He joined Second Division Southampton in February 1925 and made his Football League debut, and only appearance for The Saints, against Derby County the next month in a 2-0 home victory. He then won a fourth and final amateur cap in a 2-1 victory over Wales at Home Park, Plymouth a week later.

He joined Fulham, where he turned professional, in June 1925 where he soon became both a regular and a club stalwart, playing for The Cottagers for the next 12 seasons. While they were relegated from the Second Division in 1928, when he missed only 3 matches, he was a member of the team that won the Third Division (South) Championship in 1931-32, having been an ever present the previous season. In the summer of 1929 he was selected for the FA Tour to South Africa and in October 1929 he played again in the FA Charity Shield, this time against The Amateurs, The Professionals winning 3-0 at The Den, Millwall. Twelve days later he won his only full international cap for England when he played in a 3-0 victory over Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast.

Barrett missed one match in 1932-33 in their first season back in the Second Division as Fulham just missed out on promotion to the top flight finishing third, then two matches in 1933-34, being ever present in 1934-35. But he lost his regular place in The Cottagers first team the next season playing less than half their games, although he played 5 FA Cup ties in 1936 including playing in Fulham’s FA Cup semi final defeat to Sheffield United at Molineux. However he managed only 4 more appearances in 1936-37 before returning to Leytonstone in 1937 as their coach having played 419 games for Fulham, scoring 21 goals.

His older brother Arthur Barrett played for Leytonstone and played League football for Millwall, while a third brother also played with them for Leytonstone.