Thomas Britten Explained

Thomas Britten
Fullname:Thomas Johnson Britten
Birth Date:6 March 1858
Birth Place:Byton, England
Death Place:Johannesburg, South Africa
Position:Centre forward
Years1:1878
Clubs1:Parkgrove
Years2:1880
Clubs2:Presteigne
Nationalyears1:1878–1880
Nationalteam1:Wales
Nationalcaps1:2
Nationalgoals1:0

Thomas Johnson Britten (6 March 1858 – 24 October 1910) was a footballer. Though born and raised in rural Herefordshire in England, his birth was registered in the nearest town Presteigne across the Welsh border and he was deemed eligible to play for the Wales national football team,[1] which he did twice in 1878 and 1880. He made his debut on 23 March 1878 against Scotland and played his second and last match on 27 March 1880 against the same opposition.[2]

Britten had other links to Scotland as he worked in Glasgow for several years, playing for the local club Parkgrove and for a Glasgow select in an inter-city challenge match.[3] His profession as a mining engineer took him around Britain, and he appeared for several other regional representative teams (which convened fairly regularly in that era).[1] In 1880 he was playing club football in Wales for Presteigne,[4] and in 1887 he was with London club Crusaders. He declined the offer of another Wales cap at least twice in the 1880s,[1] [5] [6] and due to his birthplace he was also invited to play for England but remained on the reserve list and never made an appearance.[1] [7] He later emigrated to South Africa where he was a noted figure in the field of mining machinery.[8]

See also

Notes and References

  1. https://www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-history-news-and-blog/the-english-players-in-1870s-scottish-football The English players in 1870s Scottish football
  2. Web site: Wales player database 1872 to 2013. eu-football.info. 30 April 2016.
  3. Web site: The world's earliest known black footballers . Show Racism the Red Card . Richard . McBrearty . 9 January 2015 . 12 December 2016.
  4. https://www.welshsoccerarchive.co.uk/international_details.php?id=7 27 March 1880: Scotland 5-1 Wales
  5. http://www.englandfootballonline.com/seas1872-00/1882-83/M0017Wal1883.html Saturday 3 February 1883 England 5 Wales 0
  6. http://www.englandfootballonline.com/seas1872-00/1882-83/M0017Wal1883.html Saturday, 26 February 1887 England 4 Wales 0
  7. http://www.englandfootballonline.com/seas1872-00/1878-79/M0009Sco1879.html Saturday, 5 April 1879 England 5 Scotland 4
  8. http://www.s2a3.org.za/bio/Biograph_final.php?serial=365 Britten, Mr Thomas Johnson (mining engineering)