Pratt Bert Image 1 Bohemians 1903

Description

Woodstock, Oxfordshire born inside right Herbert (“Bert”) Pratt spent time as an amateur on the books of Wolverhampton Wanderers in the mid 1890’s and after moving to Ireland signed for amateur Irish League club Bohemians in the 1898-99 season. Described as “clever”, “the most dashing and brilliant inside man in the country” and the “finest forward in Deblin”, he scored 70 goals in 97 matches for The Bohs. He twice reached the Irish Cup Final with Bohemians, in 1900 they lost narrowly 2-1 to Cliftonville in the final, and in 1903 they lost 3-1 to Distillery at Dalymount Park, Pratt scoring their consolation goal.

During his Bohemians career he won three Leinster Senior League titles, three Leinster Senior Cups and also features in Bohemians’ first ever Irish League seasons after they joined that competition in 1902. He also twice represented The Irish League in matches against The Football League in 1902 at Solitude, Belfast. and The Scottish League at Grovesnor Park, Belfast in 1903, scoring the only goal of the match. He was also part of the first Bohemians team to welcome a British side to Dalymount when Bohs played Preston North End in their new home in 1901. He also featured for Leinster in the regular inter provincial challenge matches.

He had a brief spell with Blackburn Rovers in 1903 but didn’t make their first eleven but returned to Bohemians for their 1903-04 campaign, but he suffered a bout of pneumonia and returned to England, joining Liverpool in September 1904, playing 11 matches for the Liverpool reserve team in the Lancashire Combination, joining Liverpool amateur side Old Xaverians where as captain he led them on a European tour to Belgium in 1908. He also made a further appearance for Bohemians when they hosted Aston Villa at Dalymount Park in 1905.

Pratt passed away suddenly in September 1909 aged just 31 and glowing tributes were paid with The Irish Times calling him “one of the most popular players in the Irish metropolis” while the Liverpool Daily Post called him a “splendid exponent of the game”. He was buried in Liverpool and mourners included legendary Liverpool manager Tom Watson.