Betmead Harry Image 2 Grimsby Town 1936

Description

Grimsby born centre half Harry Betmead began his football career with Cleethorpes Town in 1929 and played for Haycroft Rovers in 1930, before signing for First Division Grimsby Town in October 1930, where he spent the entirety of his professional career of over 17 years between 1930 and 1947. He made his Football League debut against Bolton Wanderers in September 1931, scoring twice in 17 appearances during his breakthrough season before establishing himself as a mainstay of the Grimsby side the following season in the Second Division.

Betmead was an ever present in 1933-34 as Grimsby won the Second Division Championship, playing throughout Grimsby’s most successful period in its history as a First Division club (their highest finish of 5th being achieved in 1934-35) and won a single England cap in England’s tour to Scandinavia in May 1937, playing in an 8-0 victory over Finland in Helsinki and being one of only three Grimsby Town players to be capped by England, the others being Jackie Bestall and George Tweedy.

Betmead was part of the Grimsby Town team that reached the FA Cup semi final in 1936, although having been sent off in the quarter final against Middlesbrough he didn’t play in the semi final itself. He did play three years later as Grimsby lost the 1939 FA Cup semi final to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford. Indeed, he was a regular in The Mariners’ first team until the outbreak of the Second World War, however he lost a large chunk of his career to War, during which he served as a physical training instructor in the army, when he also guested for Heart of Midlothian, Aldershot, Chesterfield and Port Vale. He also played 40 wartime league games  for Grimsby, scoring 5 goals. After the War he returned to play 34 games in the first post war season before retiring in December 1947. In total he played 318 games for The Mariners, scoring 10 goals.

He was also a minor counties cricketer, batting right handed for Lincolnshire.