Seemingly destined for a life of toil down the mines, football offered George Draycott an escape from poverty. He was on the verge of first team football at Valley Parade when the Great War broke out. Sadly, his dreams of a better life were to end on the killing fields of France.
George was born into a Derbyshire mining family on 1 December 1887 at Newhall, near Burton-on-Trent. A sobering illustration of the hardships of the times was that his mother Charlotte ‘made her mark’ on the birth certificate in the shape of a scrawled cross. She was illiterate and unable to sign her name. By the age of thirteen, with his father dead, George was employed as a colliery horse driver. Fortunately, the world of football offered hope of a brighter future.
A central defender, he played for Newhall Swifts. He then joined Gresley Rovers, where, for reasons unknown, he attracted the nickname ‘Kibby’.
In March 1913 George was part of a triple transfer from Gresley Rovers to Bradford City. Along with Charlie Storer and Solomon Tremelling, George moved north for the then substantial sum of £150. All three made their City debuts on 6 March 1913; when City played a benefit game against a Steve Bloomers XI at Leicester. The game was played for Leicester’s long serving secretary George Johnson. Around 4,000 witnessed the game which City won 2-0, Tremelling and Oscar Fox were the scorers. The Steve Bloomers XI was made up from teams of the East Midlands, with the bulk from Leicester Fosse.
George was a reserve at Valley Parade and had yet to break into the first team when war broke out in 1914.
He enlisted at Gresley, Derbyshire and joined the Leicestershire Regiment as a private. He lived at 41, St. Stephen's Road, G Leicester and was married to Maggie.
By 1918 George had transferred to the 7th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment. He was killed in action on 18th September 1918 during the Battle of Epehy. He was only 30 years old. George is buried at Gauche Wood Cemetery, Villers-Guislain, Nord, France.

At first glance, Gerald Kirk appears to be from a lost world of privilege and position. Son of a wealthy land-owning family, public school educated and a ‘gentleman’ amateur footballer. However, scratch the surface and you’ll find a man held in genuine esteem in his community and one who worked his way through the ranks to gain a commission during the Great War.
Born Headingley, Leeds, July 14th 1883, son of Alfred and Isabella of Greenwood Leghe, Ingleton, North Yorkshire. From 1895 he attended, as a boarder, Pocklington Grammar School, East Yorkshire, where he played for the second XI at both football and cricket. Gerald appeared at centre forward and inside left. He left the school in December 1900.
Gerald’s family owned a great deal of property and land in the Ingleton area, presumably after leaving school Gerald helped to manage the estate. In the 1901 census, the family are classed as ‘living on their own means’.
A keen sportsman, Gerald captained Ingleton Football Club. In April1903 they won the Lancaster and District League Championship, the whole village wildly celebrated as the team returned home to a heroes welcome. The following season they were beaten finalists in the Lancaster Senior Cup.
Gerald joined Bradford City after impressing as a trialist in a friendly against Dundee on 25th April 1905 and again in a friendly against Blackburn Rovers. He made his first team debut on 28th October 1905, when City defeated Blackpool 2-1 in a Second Division game at Valley Parade. He established himself at centre-half and was a virtual ever-present thereafter.
However, Gerald was transferred to Leeds City in December 1906. At Elland Road he only played seven games – scoring one goal – before returning to Valley Parade in September 1907. Back at Bradford City he was mainly a reserve, playing a mere three games during the 1907/08 season. City’s promotion to the top flight of English football brought about fairly widespread changes in personnel and Gerald was one of many who left Valley Parade during the summer of 1908. In all, Gerald had played 43 games for City, scoring twice.
Although Gerald was only approaching his 26th birthday, he turned his back on ‘professional’ football and returned to his old club Ingleton. Off the field of play Gerald was instrumental in forming Ingleton Conservative Club and was its first Honourable Secretary. Clearly an active citizen, he was also on the board of the Ingleton National School. In line with his social standing he regularly hunted with the Vale of Lune Harriers. He married Sarah Jane Capstick at Holy Trinity Church, Casterton, Westmorland on 21 April 1909. They set up home at Hazel Mount, Warton near Carnforth.
At the outbreak of the Great War the 1/5th battalion King’s Own Lancaster Regiment moblised. The battalion was a territorial unit and it was found that 200 soldiers were unfit for service. The local paper, the Lancaster Observer, appealed for volunteers to fill the gaps in the ranks. On 1 September 1914 Gerald Kirk joined up and became one of what the paper called the ‘Gallant 200’. On his enlistment form Gerald gave his occupation as a ‘gentleman’.
Despite his undoubted social status, Gerald initially served as a Private (service number 2132), but was quickly marked out for promotion. He was duly promoted to Lance Corporal on 31 October. Gerald’s Battalion were initially involved in Home Defence duties around Lancaster and Barrow. From 14 August 1914 the battalion was used to guard the Great Western Railway line between Didcot and Oxford. In November they left Didcot for Sevenoaks in Kent, where they combined with other troops from the Territorial West Lancashire Division. During that time Gerald was offered a commission and eventually attained the rank of Second Lieutenant on 31 January 1915. In February 1915 they sailed for France and by the 17th first elements of the battalion began disembarking at Le Havre. They were one of the first Territorial units to be sent overseas.
On 2 March they were at Bailleul, prior to gaining their first experience of trench warfare at Neuve Eglise. They were relived on 23 March by the 1st Monmouthshire’s and slowly marched away from the tumult of the front line for a period of well-earned rest in billets. All too soon, they moved to the infamous Ypres Salient and on 12 April the battalion were in the front line trenches at Polygon Wood. In just five days they lost 14 killed and 44 wounded. The badly battered battalion moved to St Jean and dug in as Ypres suffered from yet another spell of heavy shelling.
On the afternoon of 22 April 1915, the German’s launched the first gas attack in the history of warfare, at nearby St Julien. It descended on a portion of front held by French Colonial troops. Terrified by the strange yellow cloud enveloping them, the ‘Zouaves’ retreated in disarray. Gerald’s battalion watched as the retching and green-faced troops passed through their ranks. A Canadian Division somehow plugged the gap and – though heavily outnumbered – checked the ensuing German advance.
The following day Gerald’s platoon was ordered to support the Canadians, as part of a hastily assembled counter attack. At 1pm they moved forward towards Pilkem and once again dug in. The attack commenced at 3.45pm and at 5pm Gerald’s battalion, acting as reserve, joined the fray. With ‘C’ company leading they immediately came under heavy machine gun and rifle fire from three sides. Suffering numerous casualties they pulled back a couple of hundred yards. With no artillery support their position was almost hopeless. The Colonel in charge witnessed soldiers trying to find cover wherever they could, some hid behind a pile of manure, but the bullets cut through and they were all killed. The Colonel made his way to Brigade HQ but was simply told to ‘hold his position’. When he returned he found that ‘Kirk is seriously wounded’.
The desperate assault blunted the German attack, but at great cost. Over half the troops involved were killed. The battalion alone lost 26 killed, 102 wounded and 1 gassed. Gerald, leading his platoon forward at Wieltje, was shot through the chest. Badly wounded, he was taken to Poperinghe behind the lines. He died the next day - 24 April 1915 - at Number 3 Casualty Clearing Station, Poperinghe. Gerald is buried at Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery - plot 2, row K, grave 28.

Born in a back-to-back and employed in the wool trade. Ernest Goodwin almost epitomises the thousands of ordinary Bradford folk whose toil built the Worstedopolis. Sadly, he was to share the fate of all too many Bradfordians during the terrible Battle of the Somme.
A player more local to Valley Parade is impossible to find. Ernest Anthony Goodwin was born on 7 April 1894 at 36 Picton Street, off Green Lane, Manningham. Son of George and Edith Goodwin. His father was employed as a drayman. From 1912 he lived at 34 South Parade - the street right behind City’s Main Stand.
Ernest was a City reserve, but never made an appearance for the first team. He was a part-time player, he also worked for wool merchants I & G Lancaster Ltd of Manor Row. The company was the family firm of City chairman - and former Manningham player.
Ernest enlisted with D company of the 1st/6th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own). The Battalion was based at Belle Vue Barracks – yards from Valley Parade and Ernest’s home. They embarked for France aboard the SS Victoria and landed at Boulogne on 15th April 1915. Ernest was a corporal, but was later promoted to Sergeant.
The battalion served at Neuve Chapelle and Ypres before arriving on the Somme in February 1916. In tandem with the 36th Ulster Brigade, Ernest’s company lead an attack on Thiepval Wood on that terrible first day of the Battle of the Somme - 1st July 1916. Ernest was reported missing, it later transpired that he had been badly wounded. A letter to his parents from a ‘pal’, reproduced in the local press, said ‘Ernest was wounded by shrapnel, two hits in the arm and leg’. It’s likely that he was transferred to Etaples, a major British base near the coast. He died from his wounds on Friday 21 July 1916.
Ernest is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

A more colourful character would be hard to find. The clubs first England international and first ever City player to be sent off. His career was often clouded by controversy. However, he was supremely talented and was only the second player in the World to be transferred for over £1,000. Sadly, his career ended with drinking allegations at Airdrie. One wonders what the tabloids would have made of him today!
Born Consett, County Durham 6 July 1881. Son of Luke and Mary Ann Conlin. Jimmy began his career in Scotland with the oddly titled Captain Colt's Rovers. He went onto Cambuslang and Hibernian. He joined Falkirk on 9 January 1900, however it was on 14 March1901 when his career began in earnest as a left winger with Albion Rovers.
At Rovers Jimmy helped his side win the Scottish Combination Championship in 1901-02 and 1902-03. They reached the Lanarkshire Cup Final on 15 March 1903, but lost 0-3 against Hamilton. Rovers secured a place in the Scottish League Second Division in 1903. In their second League match – at Ayr Parkhouse on 22 August 1903 – Jimmy scored four times as Rovers strolled to a 5-2 victory. On 28 November 1903 Rovers again reached a cup final – the Scottish Qualifying Cup – but once again fell at the last hurdle when Arbroath beat them 4-2 in front of 7,000 at Dens Park, Dundee.
-Jimmy was a fast and tricky winger. Standing at only 5’ 5” and weighing in at 9 st. 11 lbs., his forte was supplying crosses for the centre forwards. However, as has already been noted, he certainly had an eye for goal.
Jimmy should have signed for Bradford City in April 1904, however, Albion Rovers wanted £200 – an astronomical fee. There was some history between the Scottish club and City’s secretary-manager Robert Campbell. When with Sunderland Campbell had signed Peter Boyle from Rovers for £40, soon after he sold the player to Sheffield United for £170.
City appealed to the Scottish League Committee and they set Conlin’s transfer fee at £60. Albion Rovers responded by alleging that City had approached Conlin without their consent. An international committee, made up of representatives from both sides of the border, met at Carlisle on 23 September. City were found guilty, but the transfer was allowed to proceed. City were fined £50 for their ‘illegal’ approach of the player. However, a £100 transfer fee was approved and Conlin was thus freed to appear in City’s victory over Port Vale at Valley Parade on 24 September 1904.
Jimmy became the first City player ever to be sent off when he was dismissed during a 6-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion on 11 November 1905. On 10 February 1906 he was at the centre of yet another controversy. Promotion chasing Manchester United came to Valley Parade, during the game United’s burly Bob Bonthron repeatedly clashed with Jimmy. The crowd – angered by Jimmy’s treatment – got completely out of hand. After the game the visiting team were pelted with missiles as they made their way up Holywell Ash Lane. The Football League held a commission of enquiry and duly closed Valley Parade for a fortnight between 1-14 March.
On a happier note, Jimmy became City’s first England international on 7 April 1906, when Scotland beat England 2-1 at Glasgow – future City favourite Dickie Bond (then with Preston North End) was on the opposite wing. The attendance of 102,741 was a World Record for an international match. A small party from Bradford travelled to Glasgow to see history being made. Sadly, an injury to left half Harry Makepeace meant that Jimmy’s attacking opportunities were limited and he failed to do himself justice. Jimmy had arranged to meet the Bradford party in Glasgow after the game. However, he was spirited away to his native Coatbridge by his enthusiastic local admirers!
In all Jimmy made 67 appearances for Bradford City, scoring 10 goals. On 13 July 1906 Manchester City paid £1,000 to secure Jimmy’s services - it was only the second time in the games history that such a transfer fee had been paid.
His debut, on 1 September 1906, against Arsenal was bizarre in the extreme. The game was played in a heatwave. Jimmy tried to combat the conditions by playing with a knotted hankie around his head! Several Manchester City players retired due to heat exhaustion. Jimmy collapsed in the first half, he gamely returned in the second period, but couldn’t help his new side – at one point reduced to six men – go down 4-1. He helped his club to the Second Division Championship in 1909-10. After 175 appearances and 30 goals he left for Birmingham City on 29 September 1911. His stay at St Andrews was plagued by injury; he made only 23 appearances for the Blues, scoring twice.
On 30 July 1912 Jimmy moved on again, this time to Airdrie for a fee of £150. The move wasn’t a success. On 7 October he was fined £2 10s for failing to turn up for a game. A brief triumph followed with the lifting of the Lanarkshire Cup on 30 December 1912, when Airdrie beat Dykehead 5-1. Sadly, Jimmy’s off field problems worsened when he failed to turn up for several training sessions. On 4 February 1913, after Jimmy admitted having a drink problem, the board fined him again, ordered him to find work and told him to stop drinking. The warning had no effect, on 15 April 1913 Jimmy was suspended sine die by the club and placed on the transfer list. Obviously, the club still rated him as a footballer, as they were asking £200 for his services. Perhaps not surprisingly there were few takers and on 13 August 1913 the Coatbridge Express reported that Jimmy had joined Broxburn Athletic, but it was a move that was ‘not the will of the directors’. Presumably the £200 was not forthcoming! Jimmy had made 27 appearances for Airdrie, scoring 6 goals. His long and occasionally troubled career ended at Broxburn.
When war broke out in 1914 Jimmy was living at 495, Coatbank Street, Coatbridge. He was married to Elizabeth and they had a son, David. Jimmy enlisted at Coatbridge in the 15th battalion Highland Light Infantry as a private. The battalion was transferred to the Nieuport sector on the Belgium coast during June 1917, in readiness to support a British offensive at the third Battle of Ypres. Jimmy was killed on 23 June 1917, aged 35. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Nieuport memorial.

The journeyman footballer is often considered a modern phenomenon. The truth is that since the games inception players have darted from club to club seeking gainful employment. James Comrie rarely settled for long at one club, his career epitomises the numerous Scottish players who were the backbone of the English game prior to the Great War.
Born 31 March 1881 at Denny, Stirling. James began his career in 1904 as a centre half with the now defunct Third Lanark. Success came quickly. Third Lanark met Rangers in the 1905 Scottish Cup Final. After a scoreless draw, Third Lanark won the replay 3-0. The following season they reached the final again, but lost 0-1 to Hearts.
After making 78 appearances for Third Lanark, scoring 18 goals, James tried his luck south of the border when he joined Southern League Reading in 1906.
During his stay at Reading he made 36 appearances, including a first round FA Cup tie against Bradford City at Valley Parade on 12 January 1907. City won 2-0 in front of 18,000 fans. He gained something of a reputation for missing or turning up late for training, but he was obviously well thought of given the number of appearances he made for the Royals.
In May 1907 James joined Second Division Glossop North End, where, as club captain, he made 38 appearances, scoring 1 goal in 1907/08. He played twice against City that season and obviously caught the eye.
On 16 September 1908 Bradford City manager Peter O’Rourke and committee member Ike Newton travelled to Glossop to pay a ‘very substantial’ sum for James Comrie and William Gould. They made their Bradford City debuts during a 0-4 defeat at Liverpool on 19 September. James struggled to gain a foothold in the first team. However on 19 January 1909 he played when City defeated Workington in the first round of the FA Cup. From then on he was a virtual ever present – making 48 appearances, scoring 3 goals. He left Valley Parade for Lincoln City on 23 November 1910.
The move wasn’t a success. James made only 12 appearances for the Imps, scoring once. He was a part time player and worked as an attendant at Bracebridge Asylum, outside Lincoln.
In the summer of 1911 he left Lincoln City, but remained in the area, turning out for Grantham once sometime in either October or November 1911. He then returned to his native Scotland to end his long career with Stenhousemuir, where he remained until May 1912.
James returned to the Lincoln area, perhaps seeking employment. He enlisted into the army at Lincoln and joined the Northumberland Fusiliers. He served as a private with the 1/7th battalion.
-They were already in the front line, having crossed the Channel on 20 April 1915 aboard SS Invicta. Almost immediately committed to fierce fighting in the infamous Ypres salient in Belgium, they had suffered heavy casualties. Doubtless, James was one of the reinforcements drafted in to replenish the ranks after the early losses. By August 1916 they were a battle-hardened unit who had spent their entire deployment in the Ypres sector.
On 3 August 1916 they moved from their training base at Dranoutre, south east of Ypres, to relieve the 6th Northumberland Fusiliers in the front line. On the afternoon of 4 August the Germans opened fire on their positions with light and heavy trench mortars. The following day British artillery retaliated with a bombardment of the German trenches. The enemy replied with trench mortars. That evening the Northumberlands were relieved by the Royal Irish Rifles.
The battalion war diary reported one killed and three wounded during their two-day stint in the front line. The battalion marched to Neuve Eglise and by the 9 August they were in billets at Meteren.
James Comrie is listed has having died on 9 August 1916 - when the Northumberland’s were out of the line. He could well have been one of the three reported wounded and died as a result of those wounds. Or he may have been the soldier reported killed during the two days in the trenches. Sadly, we will probably never know, as James has no known grave. He is therefore commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium.
On 26 May 1938 James’ nephew - Malcolm Comrie - signed for Bradford City from York. Although a regular with the reserves, Malcolm couldn’t break into the first team and left for a position outside football in York on 6 December.

Halfback Harry Potter was born on 24 November 1884 at 18a West Squire Lane, Girlington, one of ten children of William and Mary Potter.
Harry was a City reserve between 1906 and ‘10. He was a part-time player and worked as a dyers labourer. A regular with the reserves, Harry played in the West Riding Cup Final on 14 April 1906, when a mainly reserve side defeated Heckmondwike 1-0 in front of 1,500 at Upper Armley. It was only the second trophy of any kind City had won at the time.
Harry married Sarah Mayhew on 12 January 1907. Breaking into the first eleven of the rapidly emerging first team was a tall order. Harry decided to try his luck with Lincoln City and arrived at Sincil Bank in 1910.
However, he never made an appearance for Lincoln’s first team. Throughout his time with Lincoln Harry kept his family home in Bradford at 22 Agar Street, Girlington. He must have trained locally and travelled on matchdays as he was employed by the Fur Fabric Company of Carlisle Road.
During the Great War Harry enlisted with the West Yorkshire Regiment at Bradford - service number 205175. On 16 April 1917 he was transferred to the 2/4th battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment – service number 235304. The battalion had been part of the advance on the Hindenburg Line and had suffered casualties as a result. Harry was one of the reinforcements needed to bring the battalion back up to strength following the action.
After a summer on the Somme the battalion moved to the Ypres sector in August. The following month they were involved in the Battle of Polygon Wood where they suffered very heavy casualties. The battalion was withdrawn to the Avion sector and then into reserve at Flesquieres. On 30 November the Germans launched a major attack intending to regain ground lost during the Battle of Cambrai. The battalion was thrust into the action at Bourlon Wood. On 30 January due to continuing casualties the battalion was merged with the 1/4th and became known as the 4th.
At 5am on 21 March 1918 the German’s launched their final all or nothing offensive of the war. Sixty-four divisions advanced on a 54 mile front. Harry’s battalion were in reserve between Mory and Vraucourt. As a huge enemy barrage fell on the forward troops, all the Lincolns could do was wait for the inevitable call to arms. An impromptu football match broke out – would it be too fanciful to suggest that the football mad Harry Potter would have been involved? Playing his final game while the barrage raged at the front? Finally, at 11am the waiting was over and the 4th battalion was ordered forward to mount a counter attack against the advancing Germans.
At what became known as the Battle of St. Quentin the Lincolns found themselves heavily outnumbered. They were forced into a gradual withdrawal to a line of trenches in front of the Vraucourt road. There throughout the afternoon they fought off repeated attacks and it was an exhausted battalion that was relieved that night. They had suffered 75% casualties and yet – outnumbered and often surrounded – they had held the line.
During the night the battalion took up position NNW of Vraucourt. 22 March followed a similar pattern to the previous day. Constant attacks saw the Germans manage to pierce the right flank of the battalion during the afternoon. As one officer put it they were ‘facing all ways’. By the evening they were under fire from front and rear. At 6pm the battalion fell back onto a position east of Mory, covering Vraucourt. For ninety minutes they held out, until one final push from the enemy broke through. The Lincoln’s moved to high ground covering the village of Mory. The fighting raged on into the night. The German advance was checked, but at a fearful cost. Sometime during that tumultuous day of 22 March 1918 Harry Potter was killed.
The village of Mory was eventually abandoned as the German advance pressed forward once again. However, thanks to countless similar actions all along the 54-mile front the German advance was finally halted and would eventually be thrown back in a series of spectacular victories that took the Allies all the way to the German frontier.
Due to the chaotic conditions during the days surrounding Harry’s death his body was never found. The Germans had advanced into Mory and in the resulting attack and counter attack many others shared Harry’s fate.
Sadly, Harry has no known grave and is thus commemorated among the 35,000 names on the Arras Memorial in the Faubourg-d’Amiens Cemetery in the town of Arras. The sacrifice at Arras proved to be the beginning of the end of ‘the war to end all wars’. Little compensation for the wife and eight-year-old daughter Hilda Harry left behind in Bradford.
Today Paris bound Eurostar trains flash through the old battlefields at speeds that would have defied the imagination of the combatants. Among the scattered villages and pyramid shaped slag heaps, neat clusters of white headstones mark the last resting place of British troops who fought and died in that terrible conflict. Somewhere among them is Harry.