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]

  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. ^ a b c d John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine.
  4. ^ a b 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)