Dickie Watmough

Richard Watmough (1912 – 7 September 1962) was an English professional footballer and cricketer. He played as a midfielder in the former sport.

Dickie Watmough

Personal information
Full name	Richard Watmough
Date of birth	1912
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Date of death	7 September 1962 (aged 49–50)
Height	5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)^[1]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
–1934	Bradford City	94	(24)
1934–1937	Blackpool	100	(31)
1937–1938	Preston North End	20	(4)
Total		214	(59)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football

Born in Sheffield (then the West Riding of Yorkshire) but brought up in Idle, Bradford, West Yorkshire,^[2] Watmough signed for his hometown club in the early 1930s. He went on to make almost one hundred league appearances for the Bantams, scoring 24 goals.

In 1934, he signed for Blackpool. He made his debut for the club on 13 October 1934, ten games into the 1934–35 season, and scored the winning goal in Blackpool's 2–1 victory over Norwich City at Bloomfield Road. He went on to make a further 31 league appearances and score another eight goals.

The following season, 1935–36, under new manager Joe Smith, he made 23 league appearances and scored eight goals. He also scored twice in Blackpool's short FA Cup campaign, netting two goals in a 3–1 victory over Margate in the third round (the round in which they entered the competition).

In 1936–37, Watmough scored thirteen goals in his 31 league appearances, helping the club to a runners-up finishing position and promotion to Division One.

In their first season back in the top flight, 1937–38, Watmough's place came under pressure from Alex Munro, who was signed from Hearts. Watmough made fourteen league appearances and scored two goals before he was sold to arch-rivals Preston North End in early December 1937, in an exchange deal that brought Frank O'Donnell to Blackpool and also took Jim McIntosh to Deepdale. Watmough's final game for Blackpool was in a single-goal defeat at home to Liverpool on 27 November.

At Preston, he won the FA Cup in 1938, at the end of his only season with the club.

Cricket

Watmough played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club's Second XI in the 1932 Minor Counties Cricket Championship and was once twelfth man for the First XI.^[3][4]

Post-retirement

After retiring, Watmough became a publican in his hometown of Idle with his wife Ruth Watmough^[5] (née Farrar [1912-2012])^[6] and scouted for Bradford Park Avenue.

He died on 7 September 1962.^[2]

Honours

Blackpool

• Promotion to Division One: 1936–37

Preston North End

• FA Cup winner: 1938

References

Specific

1. "Blackpool. Brightest chances for three years: seasoned recruits". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. vi – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Former City Footballer - Death at Idle Home of Mr R Watmough". Telegraph and Argus. 8 September 1962. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
3. "Watmough". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
4. Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992, p.124
5. "North Ender Keeps Wedding Secret". Lancashire Daily Post. 15 August 1939. p. 9. Retrieved 10 January 2016.(subscription required)
6. "Ruth Watmough". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2016.

General

• Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
• "Search for story of biggest local hero" - Telegraph & Argus