Benjamin W. Shearman (2 December 1884 – October 1958) was an English

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who played as an

outside left Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...

. Born in

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Linco ...

he came to the fore with Rotherham Town before having spells with

Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...

West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional Association football, football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English foo ...

and

Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...

. He gained an

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competit ...

losers medal whilst with West Brom having played in the 1912 final. Despite missing four years of his career due to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

he made 217 appearances in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

Career

Shearman was originally spotted playing in the

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

School League and was eventually signed by Rotherham Town. Renowned as a speedy winger with an accurate crossing ability he was transferred to

with whom he made his

début in 1909. After two seasons at Bristol he moved to

where he enjoyed the most successful spell of his career, featuring in the

1912 FA Cup Final The 1912 FA Cup Final was the 41st FA Cup final. It was contested by Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion. It took two matches to determine a winner. The first took place at Crystal Palace on 20 April 1912 and the second on 24 April at Bramall Lan ...

where the Baggies eventually lost to Barnsley in a replay at

Bramall Lane Bramall Lane is a football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United. The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramall family of file and graver manufacturers. ...

. With the outset of

he moved back to

to work in steel production at Tinsley whilst making regular guest appearances for

Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games a ...

before eventually joining the army. Following the end of the war he was bought by

for £2,500 but lasted only one season before moving back into non-league football with Gainsborough Trinity.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shearman, Ben 1884 births 1958 deaths Sportspeople from Lincoln, England English footballers English Football League players Association football wingers Rotherham Town F.C. (1899) players Bristol City F.C. players West Bromwich Albion F.C. players Sheffield United F.C. wartime guest players Nottingham Forest F.C. players Gainsborough Trinity F.C. players English Football League representative players FA Cup Final players British Army personnel of World War I