Frank Moss 1938-55

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Seasons

Age*

Division

Appearances

Starts

Substitute

Unused

Goals

From

Played Under

Jimmy Hogan |
Alex Massie |
George Martin |
Eric Houghton |

First Squad Appearance

Monday, 5 September 1938

Debut Appearance

Monday, 5 September 1938

Everton (h), Division One

First Goal

Saturday, 29 November 1947

Final Appearance

Saturday, 5 February 1955

Charlton Athletic (a), Division One

Final Squad Appearance

Saturday, 5 February 1955

Frank Moss 1938-55

Player #386 for Aston Villa, Frank Moss, played as a centre back for the club Villa between 1938-39 and 1954-55 making 314 appearances and scoring 3 goals.

Frank was born in Aston, less than a mile from Villa Park on 16 September 1917 and made his debut appearance for Villa on the 5 September 1938 aged 20.

Villa had signed Frank from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of £2,000 in May 1938, and together with his brother (Amos, 1946-47 to 1955-56, 108 appearances and 5 goals) followed their father - Frank Snr, Villa’s famous international half-back of the 1920s (1914-15 to 1928-29, 282 appearances and 9 goals).- onto the club’s books.

Indeed there was a striking resemblance between the two Franks so much so that fans of an era could be excused for thinking they had travelled back in time as Frank Jr first took the field for Villa.

Despite being born in Birmingham and playing local football as a wing half backs for Ryland Road School, Frank and family would move to Worcester where he represented St Clement’s School and later Worcester Nondescripts.

After a short spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Frank moved to Sheffield Wednesday - under the tutelage of Billy Walker - where he was employed as a wing half despite his natural talent lending him to a centre half role.

Frank belatedly joined Villa in May 1938 and became a regular centre half in the Central League side before making a couple of first team appearances before the breakout of WW2, after seeing service in the Royal Navy, Frank returned to Villa Park and succeeded Ernie “Mush” Callaghan as Villa’s first choice centre half bringing his strong attacking style to the team.

Moss proved to be one of the best in the land amongst his contemporaries as a stopper of centre forward adventure with a deadly tackle and excellent, trustworthy and decisive heading skills that frequently helped his team out of danger.

Frank also filled in where needed as a full back and brought his customary excellence and know how to what was after all an alien position for him.

Frank developed a reputation as a hard working and earnest half back whether position on the wing or in the centre and continued to develop partnerships with team-mates new and old to the benefit of Villa. Indeed By the turn of the 50s Frank made up what was reputed to be the strongest middle line of any in the League as his relationships with new arrivals Ivor Powell and Con Martin blossomed.

Frank was an ever present in 1949-50 as his qualities came to a fore for Villa with contemporary reports saying they had never seem him play better or work harder for the team, indeed the harder the game the more he seemed to enjoy it. Frank’s happiest moment of that campaign came when we scored the goal that beat Manchester City in the final minute of the game on 17 December 1949.

Throughout his career Frank was know as an extremely hard worker who never seemed to tire, always joining the battle where it was a its thickest.

Although Frank made his debut in the 1938-39 season and appeared in the 1945-46 regional league, it was from the resumption of league football proper that saw his career take off.

Frank was a virtual ever present for 8 league seasons yet despite his commitment and contribution, Frank’s time at Villa wasn’t a period of great success for the club with five top 10 finishes the highest achievements in an otherwise barren spell of trophy-less seasons for the club.

Frank’s career only began to wind down in 1954-55 with him playing his final game on 5 February 1955 at the age of 37, and only then retiring because of injury.

Frank played under managers Jimmy Hogan, Alex Massie, George Martin and Eric Houghton.

Frank passed away in Looe, Cornwall on 5th May 1997 aged 79."