Percy Barton (20 January 1893 – October 1961) was an England international footballer who played as a left half. He played for Birmingham both before and after the First World War, making 349 appearances in all competitions, and was a member of the team that won the Second Division title in 1920–21.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | (1893-01-20)20 January 1893[1] | ||
Place of birth | Edmonton, London, England | ||
Date of death | October 1961 (1961-11) (aged 68) | ||
Place of death | Birmingham, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Left half | ||
Youth career | |||
Tottenham Thursday | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Edmonton Amateurs | |||
Sultan | |||
1914–1929 | Birmingham | 331 | (13) |
1929–1933 | Stourbridge | ||
National team | |||
1921–1924 | England | 7 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Barton was born in Edmonton, London where he attended Montague Road School. He worked as a butcher's boy on leaving school, and played football for a local team, Sultan F.C.[3] One of his Sultan teammates, Richard Gibson, had gone on to play professionally for Birmingham, and Gibson recommended Barton to the club.[4] Barton signed for Birmingham in January 1914 at the age of 18,[3] went straight into the first team, and missed only two league games in a season and a half before the Football League was suspended for the duration of the war.[5]
He missed only one match in the 1920–21 season as Birmingham won the Second Division title.[6] Towards the end of his Birmingham career he played in positions other than his customary left-half; in the 1926–27 season he was used at left back and later still he played centre-half or filled in occasionally on the right.[7] He was a hard-working player, whose combative style did not always find favour with referees, resulting in him being sent off three times.[3] After leaving Birmingham he spent four seasons with Stourbridge in the Birmingham & District League.[3]
He won seven caps for England between 1921 and 1924.[1]
Barton died in Birmingham in October 1961 at the age of 68.[1]
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