Frank Latimer

Frank Latimer
Personal information
Full name	Frank Jackson Latimer
Date of birth	3 October 1923
Place of birth	Sunderland, England
Date of death	November 1994 (aged 71)
Place of death	Durham, England
Position(s)	Utility player
Youth career
0000–1945	Snowdown Colliery Welfare
Senior career*
Years	Team
1945–1956	Brentford
	Gravesend & Northfleet
	Snowdown Colliery Welfare
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Frank Jackson Latimer (3 October 1923 – November 1994) was an English professional footballer who made over 170 appearances as a utility player in the Football League for Brentford.

Club career

Brentford

A defender, Latimer was signed by Brentford in November 1945 from non-League club Snowdown Colliery Welfare.^[1] He played in the reserve team during the 1945–46 and 1946–47 seasons and made his professional debut at the end of the latter campaign, in a 1–0 defeat to Arsenal at Griffin Park on 26 May 1947, which condemned the Bees to relegation from the First Division.^[2] Latimer began the 1947–48 Second Division season as a first choice at the back, but was dropped in December 1947 and failed to appear again until September 1949, when he regained his place in the team.^[2] Latimer found himself dropped again in January 1951 and failed to appear for over a year, before managing five appearances in the second half of the 1951–52 season.^[2]

Latimer made 33 appearances during the 1952–53 season and was pressed into service as an inside left during the latter part of the campaign.^[3] He scored his only goals for the club within the space of a week in March 1953, with two in a 3–2 win over Leicester City and a consolation in a 4–1 defeat to West Ham United.^[2] Latimer made a career-high 39 appearances during the 1953–54 season, playing left back in a disastrous campaign which ended with relegation to the Third Division South.^[2] Latimer played on until the end of the 1955–56 season and played the final 10 games of the season as a centre half, with his final appearance for the club coming in a 2–2 draw with Walsall on 31 March 1956.^[2] He made 186 appearances and scored three goals during his decade as a first team player with the Bees.^[3]

Non-League football

In 1956, Latimer dropped into non-League football and joined Southern League club Gravesend & Northfleet.^[3] He later returned to Kent League First Division club Snowdown Colliery Welfare.^[3]

Personal life

Latimer worked as a miner before becoming a professional footballer and came to the attention of Brentford manager Harry Curtis when he moved from the Durham coalfield to the Snowdown Colliery in Kent.^[3] Latimer returned to his trade after his retirement from football.^[3]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Brentford	1946–47^[2]	First Division	1	0	0	0	1	0
	1947–48^[2]	Second Division	16	0	0	0	16	0
	1949–50^[2]		22	0	1	0	23	0
	1950–51^[2]		24	0	1	0	25	0
	1951–52^[2]		4	0	1	0	5	0
	1952–53^[2]		30	3	3	0	33	3
	1953–54^[2]		36	0	3	0	39	0
	1954–55^[2]	Third Division South	28	0	5	0	33	0
	1955–56^[2]	Third Division South	10	0	1	0	11	0
Career total			171	3	15	0	186	3

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Frank Latimer". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 379–383. ISBN 0951526200.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 94. ISBN 978-0955294914.

[Hugman-1] "Frank Latimer". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

[White-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 379–383. ISBN 0951526200.

[Timeless-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 94. ISBN 978-0955294914.

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