Booth Billy Image 3 Brighton & Hove Albion 1914

Description

Sheffield born centre half Billy Booth joined First Division hometown club Sheffield United from Thorpe Hesley Parish Church in 1907 making his Football League debut at Blackburn Rovers in January 1908, which proved his only Blades appearance. He joined Southern League Brighton & Hove Albion in the close season of 1908 and helped Brighton win the 1909-10 Southern League Championship. He also was a member of the Albion team that won the 1910 FA Charity Shield when they beat League Champions Aston Villa 1-0 at Stamford Bridge that September. In the five years that the Charity Shield was contested by the winners of the Football League and Southern League between 1908 and 1912, this was the only occasion on which the Southern League Champions prevailed. The victory remains Brighton & Hove Albion’s only national honour to date.

Booth was called into the England squad in February 1913 being a non playing reserve against Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast, but never returned to the England set up and remained uncapped. However he did represent The Southern League against The Football League in 1914. Booth also served as a private in the 17th (Service) Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment) during the First World War. He played both sides of the War for Brighton scoring 8 goals in 303 appearances for The Seagulls but joined Midland League club Castleford Town in 1920, returning to the South coast to play for Worthing in 1921 before his eventual retirement.