Wilf Bartrop

Bartrop arrived at Liverpool as an FA Cup winner whose pace and powerful running had already troubled the Anfield defence. An outside-right from Worksop, he had first been tried at centre-forward by his hometown club before finding his best position on the wing. His local newspaper later remembered a strong, fast footballer whose accurate crosses supplied many of Barnsley’s goals. Bartrop joined Second Division Barnsley from Worksop Town in June 1909 and experienced an extraordinary introduction to League football. In his first season, Barnsley reached the FA Cup final, drawing 1–1 with Newcastle United at Crystal Palace before losing the replay 2–0 at Goodison Park. Two years later he returned to Crystal Palace for another final, this time against West Bromwich Albion. A goalless draw again meant a replay, but at Bramall Lane on 24 April 1912 Barnsley secured the trophy through Harry Tufnell’s goal in the 118th minute. Bartrop played at outside-right, with future Liverpool colleague Phil Bratley at centre-half.

Liverpool had ample opportunity to assess both men when the clubs met in the first round of the FA Cup in January 1914. Barnsley drew 1–1 at Anfield, where their performance made a considerable impression. The Liverpool Echo of 12 January considered Liverpool fortunate to survive and described Donald McKinlay’s difficulties containing the visitors’ right-wing partnership. The impression lasted. Reporting the signing of Bartrop and Bratley on 13 May, the Echo explained that Liverpool had pursued the pair after their cup performances, but Barnsley had initially refused to release them. The newspaper welcomed the acquisition of two forceful players and singled out Bartrop’s acceleration. It also noted that he shared his Worksop origins with Liverpool captain Harry Lowe. Neither signing, readers were assured, had cost as much as £1,000; Bartrop’s fee is recorded as £900.

Bartrop's opportunities at Anfield proved much more limited than his reputation might have suggested. With Jackie Sheldon preferred at outside-right, Bartrop waited until 19 December 1914 for his league debut, a 2–1 home defeat by Oldham Athletic. He retained his place for the Christmas Day visit to Bolton Wanderers, which Liverpool won 1–0, but then disappeared from the league side until the closing weeks of the season. His third and final appearance came against Bradford City at Anfield on 17 April 1915. Those three appearances, however, do not tell the whole story of his Liverpool season. Bartrop also played in the reserves, appearing alongside Bratley in a 3–0 victory over Everton’s second team at Goodison Park in February 1915. The Liverpool Daily Post described an ill-tempered contest in which Liverpool’s Charles Duffy was sent off. More happily, Bartrop made the decisive contribution in the Liverpool Cup final against Tranmere Rovers on 10 April. Before a reported crowd of 12,000 at Anfield, he scored the penalty that secured a 1–0 victory.

When normal League football ceased in 1915, Bartrop returned to Worksop and worked at Manton Colliery. He continued to have opportunities to play: he assisted Nottingham Forest, where another former Liverpool player, Sam Hardy, was also available. According to the Worksop Guardian of 6 December 1918, Bartrop enlisted on 20 January that year and went to France on 13 June. Serving as a gunner with a Royal Field Artillery trench mortar battery, he was killed in Belgium on 7 November, four days before the Armistice. A letter from his commanding officer, published in the newspaper, explained that he had been moving forward with a gun when a shell exploded nearby. He died almost immediately. His widow, Ruby, received official confirmation only after earlier reports of his death had reached home.