Quick Facts
Biography
Wilf Bartrop (22 November 1887 in Worksop, Nottinghamshire; died 7 November 1918) Was a professional footballer, who played as a Forward for several English sides prior to the First World War. He was killed in action, days before the end of the war.
Club career
He started his career at home side Worksop before transferring to Barnsley on 21 June 1909. He played in both FA Cup finals that Barnsley reached in 1910 and 1912. In the 1910 FA Cup, Bartrop scored a 'wonder goal' in a 1-0 quarter-final win over Queen's Park Rangers. In the final, Barnsley lost the replay 2-0 to Newcastle, after a 1-1 draw in the first tie. The 1912 cup final went again to a replay but Barnsley won, defeating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in extra time, after a 0-0 draw in the first encounter. Many newspapers, including the Manchester Guardian, praised his play in the replay.
At the end of the 1913-1914 season he transferred to Liverpool who he played a total of 3 games for before his career was interrupted by the First World War
A biography of Wilfred Bartrop, entitled 'Swifter than the Arrow', was published in December 2008
Honours
Barnsley
- FA Cup: Runners Up 1910
- FA Cup: Winners 1912
His FA Cup winners medal was sold in 2008 for £14400 - more than twice its estimate price.
Military service
He joined the Royal Field Artillery as a Gunner in a Trench Mortar Battery. He was serving in Belgium when he was killed on 7 November 1918.
The opening display in an exhibition on football and the Great War at the National Football Museum, Manchester, UK (2014 to 2015) focuses on Wilfred Bartrop. The display includes photographs, archive film footage and memorabilia including Bartrop's FA Cup winner's medal.