Lewis Botto

Lewis Anthony Botto (12 July 1898 – 4 June 1953), also written Louis Botto, was an English professional footballer who made 100 appearances in the Football League in the 1920s playing as a goalkeeper for Durham City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Norwich City and Nelson.[1] He also played non-league football for Jarrow Rangers, Hebburn Colliery, Shildon and Jarrow.

Lewis Botto
Personal information
Full name Lewis Anthony Botto[1]
Date of birth (1898-07-12)12 July 1898[1]
Place of birth Jarrow, England
Date of death 4 June 1953(1953-06-04) (aged 54)[2]
Place of death Jarrow, England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Jarrow Rangers
192?–1923 Hebburn Colliery
1923–1925 Durham City 49 (0)
1925–1926 Shildon Athletic
1926–1927 Durham City 32 (0)
1927–1928 Wolverhampton Wanderers 16 (0)
1928–1929 Norwich City 2 (0)
1929 Nelson 1 (0)
1929–193? Jarrow
Total 100 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Botto was born in 1898 in Jarrow, County Durham, a son of William Botto and his wife Sarah, who kept a common lodging-house in Stanley Street.[3] William Botto died in 1910,[4] and the 1911 Census shows the 12-year-old Lewis resident in the Chadwick Memorial Industrial School in Carlisle.[5] Sarah Botto died in 1911.[6]

Botto played football for Jarrow Rangers and Hebburn Colliery before signing amateur form with Football League Third Division North club Durham City in October 1923.[2] He made his debut in the 1923–24 FA Cup first qualifying round match against Dipton United on 6 October, which Durham lost 1–0. Because Durham had a league match on the same day, they fielded a reserve side in the FA Cup, an offence for which the club was fined £5 by the Football Association and required to pay the Dipton club £10 compensation for loss of gate money.[7][8] Botto made seven league appearances that season, standing in for Jimmy Hugall when the player-manager decided not to pick himself.[9]

In 1924–25, Botto was undisputed first choice in goal, ever-present in both league and FA Cup as Durham City finished in mid-table.[10] He was included in Durham's retained list for the next season, but Harry Harrison was brought in from Darlington as first choice and Botto spent the season with Shildon of the North-Eastern League.[11][12] Harrison moved on and Botto returned for the 1926–27 season, initially as an amateur but signing professional forms in October 1926.[2] He made 32 league appearances,[13] and was transfer-listed by the financially struggling club at the end of the season.

On application to the Football League, he was given a free transfer,[14] and in August he signed for Second Division club Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose backup goalkeeper Jack Hampton had left for Derby County.[15][16] Botto began the season with the reserve team playing in the Central League, and came into the league side in November when Noel George's health worsened. He played three matches before Alf Canavon took his place, but came back into the team in March when Canavon was injured and kept the position to the end of the season.[17][18] He was initially included in Wolves' retained list,[19] but in mid-September was one of five players unexpectedly listed for transfer.[20] He joined Norwich City, but played just twice in the Third Division South and was released on a free transfer.[18][21] After a single appearance for Nelson in the Third Division North,[18] his contract was cancelled in December 1929[22] and he returned home to play North-Eastern League football for Jarrow.[23]

Botto died in Jarrow in 1953 at the age of 54.[2]

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References

General

  • Dykes, Garth (2010). Durham City FC in the Football League. Nottingham: SoccerData. ISBN 978-1-905891-42-9.
  • Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.

Specific

  1. Joyce (2004), p. 31.
  2. Dykes (2010), pp. 15–16
  3. "Louis Botto". Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. RG13/4740 115 – via Ancestry Library Edition.
  4. "Wills and probate 1858–1996: Botto 1911". UK Probate Service. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  5. "Lewis Botto: England and Wales Census, 1911". FamilySearch.org. RG14/31348 14. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  6. "Wills and probate 1858–1996: Botto 1912". UK Probate Service. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  7. Dykes (2010), p. 73.
  8. "Football. Durham City fined". Sunderland Daily Echo. 27 October 1923. p. 5.
  9. Dykes (2010), pp. 39, 73.
  10. Dykes (2010), p. 74.
  11. "Durham City". Yorkshire Post. 4 May 1925. p. 3.
  12. Dykes (2010), pp. 35, 75.
  13. Dykes (2010), p. 76.
  14. "The Football League. Free and reduced transfer fees". Yorkshire Post. 2 July 1927. p. 23.
  15. "Wolves' new goalkeeper". Athletic News. Manchester. 8 August 1927. p. 2.
  16. "Botto in goal". Derby Daily Telegraph. 3 December 1927. p. 4.
  17. "Wanderers unchanged for game with Stoke". Birmingham Gazette. 8 March 1928. p. 10.
  18. "Player search: Botto, LA (Lewis)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  19. "Wolves' retentions". Birmingham Gazette. 18 April 1928. p. 10.
  20. "Wolverhampton sensation". Midland Daily Telegraph. Coventry. 21 September 1928. p. 6.
  21. "Situations wanted". Athletic News. Manchester. 17 June 1929. p. 17.
  22. "Registrations cancelled". Midland Daily Telegraph. Coventry. 2 December 1929. p. 4.
  23. "Jarrow sign new goalkeeper". Sunderland Daily Echo. 4 December 1929. p. 12.
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