Sidney Wheelhouse Explained

Sidney Wheelhouse
Birth Date:September 1888
Birth Place:Darlington, England
Death Date:19
Death Place:near Beaumont-Hamel, France
Position:Right back
Years1:1905
Clubs1:Bishop Auckland
Clubs2:Shildon Athletic
Years2:1906–1907
Years3:1907–1915
Clubs3:Grimsby Town
Caps3:234
Goals3:2

Sidney Wheelhouse (September 1888 – 19 September 1916) was an English professional football right back, best remembered for his eight years in the Football League with Grimsby Town.[1]

Career

A right back, Wheelhouse began his career with Northern League clubs Bishop Auckland and Shildon Athletic before moving to the Football League to sign for Second Division club Grimsby Town in 1907.[2] He was a regular with the Mariners for the next eight seasons and went on to captain the club, before leaving at the end of 1914–15. He returned to Blundell Park in 1916 to play in a wartime charity match.

Personal life

He fought with the 17th (Service) Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) (more popularly known as the 1st Football Battalion) during the First World War and rose to the rank of lance corporal. He saw action at Delville Wood and Guillemont in July and August 1916.

On 18 September, Wheelhouse was part of a working party which was mined while sheltering from a mortar attack and within 24 hours, he and every member of the party was dead. He is buried in Couin British Cemetery.[3]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Grimsby Town1907–08Second Division30050350
1908–0938010390
1909–1037010380
1910–11Midland League
1911–12Second Division32110331
1912–1337110381
1913–1436010370
1914–1524010250
Total23421102452

Notes and References

  1. Book: Joyce, Michael. Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Tony Brown. 2012. 978-1905891610. Nottingham. 307.
  2. Web site: Sid Wheelhouse – Grimsby Town and the First World War. Football and the First World War. 2015-12-11. en-US.
  3. Web site: CWGC – Casualty Details. www.cwgc.org. 2016-12-07.