Bill Mossop When you try and quantify what a quiet man has accomplished throughout his life it is tempting to look for headlines but Bill Mossop was so much more than that. Born on Denmark Street, Lancaster in 1921 Bill went to Marsh School and then onto Dallas Road and I can only assume he played sport from the day he took his first step until he stopped playing football five decades later. A very early image of Bill taken in 1932 at the age of 11 when he was captain of Marsh Juniors cricket team and he is seen receiving a trophy watched by a very proud teacher. Headmistress Mrs Ochiltree went on to be Headmistress at Skerton Juniors when Bill s future wife, Jean, attended. In 1937 Bill competed in the Lancashire Boys Club athletics championships and won the High Jump and from conversations I ve had since he was very proficient at most events including the Long Jump, simply an all-round sportsman. I first saw Bill when I was a 15 year old kid learning about football from Jimmy Downham at the Lancaster Lads Club. Although he never played for the Lads Club Bill and his great friend Gordon Jacobs would come training on Tuesday and Thursday and I never saw him without a smile on his face. Football, cricket and athletics all came easy to Bill, he was a natural, but here I will try and put together his journey through the playing fields of the North West. Bill, on the right, & Gordon are pictured at Half Moon Bay, Heysham, two sun worshippers
In season 1937-38 he represented the North Lancs League in a Junior International against Scotland that was played at Easter Road, Edinburgh, the home of Hibernian Football Club and received the first of his two international caps in a resounding 3-1 victory. He played for Galgate from 1937-39 in the North Lancs League. The England team was as follows: Beatty (Warton); Mossop (Galgate), Nicholson (Netherfield); Ward (Williamson s), Foxcroft (Warton), Bateson (Lancaster Catholic Old Boys); Hodgson (Caton), Carney (Halton), Simpson (Williamson s), Young (Williamson s), Magson (Morecambe Grammar School Old Boys) It was reported in April 1939 that Lancastrians would have the opportunity of watching the second Junior International between England (represented by the North Lancashire & District Football League) and Scotland (represented by the Scottish Secondary Juvenile Association) on the Giant Axe, Lancaster. For this year s game the Scottish selectors nominated over 200 players from their list of 7,000 whilst the local league viewed over 150 of their 1,500. The England team were to play in white shirts, black shorts and black & white-topped socks with Scotland, who were selected from the whole of the country, in traditional blue with lion rampant. The England team was as follows: Ron Meadows (Greenfield Rovers); Bill Mossop (Galgate), Nicholson (Netherfield); Lomax (Lansil), George Pinder (Dry Dock), Gorst (Edmondson s); Bill Hodgson (Caton), Simpson (Williamson s), Garnett (Caton), Liver (L.C.O.B.), Holden (Carnforth Rangers) Reserves: Anderson (Netherfield), Gorst (Carnforth Rangers), Wilkinson (Technical College) The referee was Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant Darks of the Lancaster & District Referees Society The entertaining game ended with a Scottish victory by 3-1 and the visitors attended a post-game dinner at the Kings Arms Hotel, Lancaster. The Deputy Mayor of Lancaster, Councillor H. Dowthwaite congratulated the visitors on their victory and all the players on a good game. The North Lancashire League was born in 1919 and was older than the S.S.J.A., which was formed in 1922. The latter however had made great strides and had 300 clubs and 7,000 players affiliated to it. The gate was ten times as big as the normal Giant Axe attendance.
North Lancashire & District Football League XI 1939 On the front row from the left are Bill Hodgson, Bill Mossop and in the centre George Pinder with goalkeeper Ron Meadows on the back row Bill s National Service card revealed his home address, where he was examined, age (19), colour of eyes (blue), colour of hair (brown) and height (just short of 5ft 9ins.)
The Second World War now intervened and local football was put on hold by the majority of clubs although John Bagot performed miracles in keeping the league ticking over with a senior and a junior section. In season 1945-46 Leeds United came calling in the shape of manager Billy Hampson (pictured left). Billy Hampson was in charge at Leeds for twelve years and unearthed Bill Shankly when he was manager of Carlisle. At this time Bill was working on the railway and lived in Hellifield where the postcards posted to him at his home at 14 Thornwick Road, Hellifield, Yorkshire made interesting and encouraging reading. Still addressed as Dear Sir in January 1946 Billy Hampson wrote, Pleased to note your good reports. Keep it up. Best wishes WH. William Hampson now addressed Bill as W, a sure sign that he had gained the manager s confidence and was on track to be in his future plans
On March 9th 1946 Bill played at left full back against West Bromwich Albion Reserves at The Hawthorns in the Central League. Interestingly the boss at West Bromwich Albion in those days was a man call Fred Everiss (pictured left) who held the post of secretarymanager at the club for a league record breaking 46 years 1902-1948. When he retired in 1948 West Bromwich created the post of full time manager and in the ensuing 64 years there have been 45 of them to little effect. Bill s hopes were eventually dashed when he was refused time off from work to travel to Leeds for training and so he joined Morecambe in November 1946 and played for three seasons. In 1946-47 he made 20 league + 1 Lancashire Junior Cup + 1 Combination Cup appearances. In 1947-48 he made 9 league + 2 Combination Cup appearances and helped the Reserves win the West Lancashire League. In 1948-49 he made 15 league + 1 FA Cup (a 0-1 loss at home to Fleetwood with 3,800 fans paying 201) + 2 Lancashire Junior Cup appearances including the Junior Cup semi-final (a 2-4 defeat at Darwen in front of 4,100 fans paying 222).
I am as usual deeply indebted to Lawrence Bland, Morecambe Football Club s diligent historian, for his assistance in compiling these records
He returned to the North Lancs League with Bentham United for season 1949-50 as they were a club making swift progress in Division I. Season 1950-51 saw Bill s team emerge as a real force in local football and his leadership was impressive and influential because he led by example and encouragement. They finished 2nd in Division One behind local rivals Ingleboro, won the Senior Challenge Cup by beating Galgate 3-0, lost the final of the Parkinson Collegian Cup 2-4 to Dry Dock United and went down 0-2 to Carnforth Rangers in the final of the Senior Charity Cup. In two short years Bill had led his team from being a mid-table club in the league towards the pinnacle of grassroots football. Bentham United in 1950-51 with the Senior Challenge Cup and proud captain Bill Mossop seated centre of the front row In 1952-53 Bill was still captain of the team who finished 4th in the league behind champions Ingleboro who were managed by the redoubtable Bill Waggett. They won the Senior Challenge Cup on the Giant Axe by beating Ingleboro 3-1 and picked up the Senior Charity Cup by toppling Bolton-le-Sands 3-2 at Christie Park. Bill Mossop had obviously made an impression on the Ingleboro manager, Bill Waggett, because he was enticed up the road to join the North Lancs League Division I champions as they ventured into uncharted waters in the newly established professional league of the North West Combination. Bill took it all in his relaxed, laid back stride as Ingleboro became champions of the new league in season 1953-54.
North West Combination 1953-54 P W L D F A Pts Ingleboro 14 10 2 2 52 29 22 Bolton-le-Sands 14 9 3 2 53 38 20 Lancaster City Reserves 14 7 2 5 58 31 19 Netherfield Reserves 14 8 5 1 50 40 17 Milnthorpe Corinthians 14 6 6 2 29 22 14 Morecambe Reserves 14 3 9 2 34 59 8 Carnforth Rangers 14 2 9 3 26 59 7 Barrow A 14 2 11 1 25 46 5 Galgate resigned from the league in April 1954 and their record was expunged Ingleboro 1953-54 Ingleboro pictured as champions of the North West Combination in 1953-54 the only time they won the title in the short history of this ill-fated league that would fold after season 1961-62 although Ingleboro resigned before the final year and re-joined the North Lancs League in Division III. Bill Mossop was injured for the final game of the season and is pictured peering between two players on the back row near the goalkeeper. In an earlier home game against Milnthorpe Corinthians in January 1954 on an icy pitch with flurries of snow Ingleboro drew 0-0 and the team was: Bond; George Chappell, Bill Mossop; Ronson, Ken Moscrop, Warburton; Hodgson, Wilf Chappell, Ted Fairclough, Dougie Procter, Noble
Ingleboro 1957-58 Back Row (L-R): Front Row (L-R): K Kennedy (trainer), Bill Webb, Brian Jebb, P Tatham, Alan Fox, Bill Mossop, Noel Jebb, Bobby Dowthwaite (injured player) Bud Cross, Ken Moscrop, George Chappell (captain), G Bullock, Billy Eccles Ingleboro in 1957-58 pictured before the Craven Cup final at Hellifield where they defeated Bentham United 3-2 with Brian Jebb (2) and Bud Cross the scorers. Brian and Noel Jebb had previously played for Great Harwood and once again the redoubtable Bill Waggett had attracted top players to Ingleboro. The week before the final Bill Scotty Webb had married Patricia Armstrong at Christ Church, Lancaster. Best man was another well-known local footballer, Terry Sweeney, and the reception was held at the Castle Hotel, Lancaster followed by a honeymoon in London. I m sure that Bill and the rest of the team thought that winning the Craven Cup was an apt way of celebrating Scotty s marriage. Bill was still playing for Ingleboro in season 1958-59 when they lost in the Craven Cup final 1-4 to Barnoldswick and the team was: Alan Fox; Kellett, Hoop; Bill Mossop, Ken Moscrop, Guy; Bud Cross, Eric Acton, Riding, Steele, Humpage
Bill, pictured far right on the front row, with Gordon Jacobs and other friends from the Lancaster Lads Club on holiday at Butlins in May 1959 Bill, far right, enjoying the night life at Butlins in May 1959 after a hard day on the bowling green
In 1960-61 Bill finally left Ingleboro and with his friend Ken Moscrop began playing for Williamsons in Division II of the North Lancs League where he also worked. In a game against Heysham Bill played at inside left and scored with a fine drive and he and Ray Gibson were named as the outstanding players for the works team. Bill had been playing football over five decades at this point and was still performing at a high level. Williamsons pictured in 1960-61 before a 4th round Memorial Cup game against Galgate that ended in defeat by 0-1 Back Row (L-R): George Nelson (manager), Joe Townley, Eric Hodgson, Charlie Timperley, Bill Mossop, Tony Sweeney, Ken Moscrop, Mr J Sweeney Front Row (L-R): Woodhouse, Thistlethwaite, Ray Gibson, Arthur Park, Roberts
Williamson s 1961-62 Back Row (L-R): Front Row (L-R): J Sweeney (secretary), A N Other, Eric Hodgson, Tony Sweeney, Charlie Timperley, Bill Mossop, George Nelson (chairman), J Wilson (trainer) A N Other, Terry Austin, Bob Bonnick, Ken Moscrop (captain), Arthur Park, A N Other With Bill it was never about winning or playing at the top level but simply playing to the best of your ability and what fantastic ability Bill possessed. By 1964-65 the name of the team had changed to Nairn-Williamsons but Bill was still playing and it seems that this would have been his final season. I m a great lover of grassroots football and my admiration for the players and officials who are involved at that level knows no bounds and when I focus on a man like Bill Mossop I see a player who influenced not only his teammates but everyone he came into contact with. Whenever footballers meet in a restaurant, on the terraces or a street corner or in a coffee house to talk about football and share memories and laughs we will all remember an extraordinary talented man but above all a true gentleman.