Willie Frame

For the Leicester City player, see Billy Frame. For the Scottish curler, see Willie Frame (curler).

Willie Frame

Third Lanark team during 1923 tour – Frame standing, far left
Personal information
Full name	William Frame
Date of birth	c. 1896 [1]
Place of birth	Larkhall, Scotland
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) [2]
Position(s)	Left back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
–	Larkhall Thistle
1918–1924	Clyde	194	(0)
1924–1930	Motherwell	173	(0)
1930–1931	Dunfermline Athletic	35	(0)
Total		402	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Frame was a Scottish footballer who played as a left back, although he could also play at left half. ^[3] He spent six years with Clyde and six with Motherwell ^[4] (being heavily involved during a period in the late 1920s where the "Steelmen" consistently finished near the top of the Scottish Football League table, being runners-up in the 1926–27 and 1929–30 seasons). Serving as captain at some points, he was also reported as being on the verge of leaving the club when left out of the team, ^{[5] [6]} and eventually fell out of favour at Fir Park and moved to second-tier Dunfermline Athletic. ^[7] He did not score any goals in over 430 appearances in Scotland's leagues or the Scottish Cup. ^[3]

During his time at Clyde, Frame played in the Glasgow FA's annual challenge match against Sheffield in four consecutive years, ^[3] and he was a guest member of a squad organised by Third Lanark that toured South America in the summer of 1923, ^{[8] [9]} also visiting that region with Motherwell in 1928. ^{[10] [11]}

After retiring, he unsuccessfully applied to be manager of Ayr United ^[12] and Raith Rovers ^[13] and later joined the AEI works at Motherwell, where his sons already worked; ^[14] 1960s player John Moore credited Frame with providing good advice on becoming a professional having seen him play in casual workplace games. ^[15] Frame was also a groundskeeper at a local park. ^[16]

Frame's career has been merged in some sources ^{[4] [3] [17]} with that of a younger player of the same name, a goalkeeper who was a reserve with Motherwell at the same time as the defender left the club, ^[18] then played in England's Football League for one year with Gateshead in 1931–32, ^{[19] [20]} followed by two seasons at Bray Unknowns in the Republic of Ireland and four seasons with Linfield in Northern Ireland, ^[21] returning to Motherwell for a short spell in 1938. ^{[22] [23]}

References

1. 'Highland Pride': La Plata, Argentina to Liverpool, England, 4 Aug 1923, UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960, via Ancestry (subscription required)
2. Season preview 1927/28 – Motherwell F.C., The Athletic News, 1 August 1927, via Play Up Liverpool
3. John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine.
4. Willie Frame, MotherWELLnet
5. Willie Frame Wants A New Club, Sunday Mail, 20 November 1927, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
6. Will Frame Go?, Motherwell Times, 25 November 1927, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
7. Now With Dunfermline | Willie Frame Leaves Fir Park, Hamilton Advertiser, 16 August 1930, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
8. Río de la Plata Trip of Third Lanark 1923, Pablo Ciullini, RSSSF, 19 August 2020
9. Tommy McInally: Celtic's Bad Bhoy, David Potter; Black & White Publishing, 2009; ISBN   9781845025786
10. Motherwell Cheery, Sunday Post, 1 July 1928, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
11. Motherwell: Beating Argentina & bringing football to South America Archived 7 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine , BBC Sport, 16 July 2020
12. Willie Frame, Motherwell, Daily Record, 10 October 1931, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
13. The Real Raith At Last | Favoured Four For Managership, Dundee Courier, 9 October 1933, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
14. The Frames Are Very Much A Part of A.E.I., Motherwell Times, 19 August 1960, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
15. John's the Manager of Luton, Motherwell Times, 19 June 1986, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
16. Football At George St. Park, Motherwell Times, 11 September 1964, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
17. Frame Willie Image 1 Motherwell 1925, Vintage Footballers
18. Willie Frame Free, Daily Record , 2 October 1931, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
19. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 103. ISBN   978-1-905891-61-0.
20. Getting Brighter At New Brighton, The People, 3 January 1932, via British Newspaper Archive; "Willie Frame, who has just displaced Crowther in the Gateshead goal, is the former Motherwell 'keeper. We mention this as many are puzzled as to Frame' a footballing history." (subscription required)
21. Scot Between the Posts | Linfield's Goalkeeper, Ireland's Saturday Night', 7 March 1936, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
22. Last Minute Thrill Saves Ibrox, Motherwell Times, 26 August 1938, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)
23. Hunter Plays, Dundee Courier, 14 October 1938, via British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)