Frank Hesham

Francis James Hesham (1879–1915) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Manchester City, Oldham Athletic and Stoke.[4]

Frank Hesham

Personal information
Full name	Francis James Hesham[1]
Date of birth	1879
Place of birth	Gorton, England[2]
Date of death	17 November 1915 (aged 36)[3]
Place of death	West Flanders, Belgium
Playing position(s)	Outside right
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1896–1897	Manchester City	2	(0)
1897–1900	Gorton St Francis
1900–1901	Manchester City	1	(0)
1901–1902	Crewe Alexandra
1903–1904	Accrington Stanley
1904–1905	Stoke	17	(1)
1905–1907	Leyton	33	(5)
1907–1909	Oldham Athletic	34	(9)
1909	Preston North End	0	(0)
1909–1910	Croydon Common	39	(20)
1910–1913	Crewe Alexandra
1913	Newton Heath Alliance
Total		54	(10)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Hesham began his career with Manchester City, for whom he made two appearances during the 1896–97 season.[2] After three years with non-league club Gorton St Francis,[4] he made a further appearance for Manchester City in January 1901.[5] He then began a journeyman career and played for Crewe Alexandra (two spells), Accrington Stanley, Leyton, Oldham Athletic, Preston North End, Croydon Common and Newton Heath Alliance, before retiring in 1913.[4][6]

Personal life

Hesham was married with a son.[2] Prior to the First World War, he served in the Manchester Regiment and later worked as a clerk in Manchester.[2][7] In November 1914, during the early months of the war, Hesham enlisted as a gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery.[2] He was posted to France in May 1915 and was killed during the Second Battle of Ypres on 17 November 1915.[2] Hesham was buried in La Clytte Military Cemetery.[3]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Manchester City	1896–97[2]	Second Division	2	0	0	0	2	0
Manchester City	1900–01[2]	First Division	1	0	0	0	1	0
	Manchester City total		3	0	0	0	3	0
Stoke	1904–05[2]	First Division	17	1	0	0	17	1
Leyton	1906–07[6]	Southern League First Division	33	5	0	0	33	5
Oldham Athletic	1907–08[2]	Second Division	25	9	4	1	29	10
	1908–09[2]		9	0	2	0	11	0
	Total		34	9	6	1	40	10
Croydon Common	1909–10[6]	Southern League First Division	28	15	3	2	31	17
	1910–11[6]	Southern League Second Division	11	5	2	3	13	8
	Total		39	20	5	5	44	25
Career Total			126	35	11	6	137	41

References

1. Frank Hesham on Lives of the First World War
2. "Frank Hesham". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
3. "Casualty Details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
4. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
5. "Frank Hesham – MCFC Players – Manchester City, Man City History – Bluemoon-MCFC". bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
6. "Croydon Common Football Club – Biographies – Frank James Hesham" (PDF). Retrieved 8 December 2018.
7. "Remembering City's fallen heroes". www.mancity.com. Retrieved 16 April 2020.