Latheron Eddie Image 4 Blackburn Rovers 1913

Description

Carlin How, Yorkshire born inside right Eddie Latheron began his football career with South Bank Corinthians from where he joined Grangetown Athletic, playing in the Northern League. He was discovered by Blackburn Rovers in 1906 playing for Grangetown against Blackburn Crosshill in an FA Amateur Cup tie. Rovers had originally gone to watch another player but it was Latheron who caught their eye and Rovers’ manager Robert Middleton paid £25 to bring him to Ewood Park. He made his Football League debut against Middlesbrough that December and soon established himself as a regular in Rovers’ first eleven. Latheron was known affectionately as “Pinkie” on the terraces.

After Blackburn finished fourth and third in the League in 1909 snd 1910, they won the League Championship in both 1912 and 1914, and Latheron also played in the 1911 FA Cup semi final when Blackburn lost to Bradford City. He also played in their FA Charity Shield win over Queen’s Park Rangers in May 1912. A regular goalscorer in all his seasons at Rovers, he earned a call up to the England team for the British Home Championship match against Wales played at Ashton Gate, Bristol on 17th March 1913, when he was joined by his Rovers teammates, Bob Crompton, Joseph Hodkinson and Billy Bradshaw. Latheron scored England’s second goal in a 4-3 victory.His second international appearance came at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough the following February, in a 3-0 defeat by Ireland as Ireland claimed the Home Championship outright for the first time.

By the time the onset of the First World War forced the suspension of peacetime football in May 1915, During the War Latheron had scored 104 goals in 283 matches for Rovers.Latheron was one of several Blackburn Rovers players who guested for Blackpool, for whom he was top scorer with 16 goals in wartime leagues. Latheron returned to Blackburn for the 1916-17 season and played his final game for Blackburn Rovers on 17th March 1917. Including wartime matches, Latheron made a total of 303 appearances for Blackburn, scoring 120 goals.

Latheron enlisted, joining The Royal Field Artillery as a gunner, and within a week of his last match for Blackburn Rovers, he was on the Front. He was killed on 14th October 1917, aged 29 at the Battle of Passchendaele, and was buried in the military cemetery at Vlamertinghe near to the town of Ypres, Belgium.

His brother Robert Latheron played once for Blackpool against Tottenham Hotspur in October 1908