Suart Bob Image 1 Fulham 1910

Description

Stockport born wing half Bob Suart began his football career with Edgeley in 1902 and soon signed for Second Division Stockport County in 1903, making his Football League debut against Gainsborough Trinity the same October and scoring once in 6 appearances as County lost their League status at the end of the season when they failed to be re-elected. The spent a year playing in the Lancashire Combination and the Midland League before being re-admitted to The Football League in 1905, by when Suart was an established first teamer and was an ever present in their first season back.

He was signed by Fulham at the end of March 1907 after 9 goals in 114 appearances for The Hatters (ex the 1904-05 season) and he had 3 further seasons with The Cottagers, scoring once in 102 appearances before joining Central League club Port Vale in July 1911. He helped The Valiants to win the Staffordshire Senior Cup in 1912, the Birmingham Senior Cup in 1913 and the North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup in 1915. Vale went into abeyance in 1915 and Suart began guesting for Stockport County in wartime fixtures.

During the second year of the First World War in 1915, Suart enlisted as a private in the South Lancashire Regiment. He transferred to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment later that year and went on to see action at High Wood, Guillemont, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Le Transloy, Arras and the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchandaele) during 1916 and 1917. His division was transferred to the Italian Front following Passchandaele, but returned to France in April 1918. Suart was killed during a German counter-attack near Gouzeaucourton on 27th September 1918, just over six weeks before the Armistice. He is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial.