Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Billy Bassett
William Isiah Bassett (January 27, 1869 -April 8, 1937) was an English association footballer.
Born West Bromwich, at only 5 foot 5 inch (1.65 m), Basset was initially considered too frail for a professional player. Establishing himself as a winger in various local amateur sides, he joined West Bromwich Albion F.C. in 1886. He played 261 games for the club, scoring 61 goals and winning 16 England caps, becoming one of the game's earliest celebrities.
He retired from playing in 1899, becoming a director of the club in 1905 and chairman from 1908 until his death. His activities in the wider footballing world let him to take an active role in the development of both the Football Association and the Football League.
Over 100,000 people lined the streets of West Bromwich for his funeral procession.
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details