A plethora of publications and Who’s Who books on the subject of West Ham United players would have you believe that Frank Burton who had amassed 165 games between 1912 and 1921 was born in Luapanso, Mexico, 1891. Trusted sources such as Wikipedia are also in agreement with his birth place. However, far from being born in an exotic sounding location in Mexico, our stout defender was actually born a year earlier, 132 years ago this week in Cheadle in the County of Stockport on 7 September 1890.

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Frank James Burton was better-known to supporters of his generation by his nickname "Bronco", apparently the long-legged full-back whose looping walk and extraordinary on-field contortion likened him to a cowboy's horse.

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Burton was signed from Queens Park Rangers in April 1912 and made his Southern League debut for West Ham United on 5 October in the 3-1 win against Plymouth Argyle at Upton Park. During WW1 he served with the 1st Royal Fusiliers City of London Regiment and saw action in Ypres and the Battle of the Somme for which he was awarded French military honours, Medaille Militaire and the Croix de Guerre. Although he was hospitalised at Whitchurch in 1916, suffering from shrapnel wounds the robust full-back still managed to turn out in 40 war-time London Combination matches for the Hammers.

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Frank Burton’s granddaughter tried numerous times unsuccessfully to alert Wikipedia to the fact that they had recorded her grandfather’s place of birth incorrectly. Wiki rebuffed her claims for an amendment, even though she provided documentary proof by providing his birth certificate. Wikipedia’s argument was they would only accept changes to their website from known trusted ‘citation’ sources. In desperation she contacted the Club who in turn passed her request to me as a West Ham historian for help. Armed with the necessary documentation I presented the case for change on this website which was subsequently accepted by Wiki.

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The confusion seems to stem from the release of the 1911 Census, which records our then 10-year defender and his younger brother Barry in Mexico; numerous football historians have used this particular document as proof of his birth.

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Both Frank and Barry were boarding with a family in Wembley when the 2 April 1911 Census form was filled-in with misleading information pertaining to the brothers being born in Mexico. To confuse matters further, the brother’s father was also called Frank and he was working overseas at the time On closer examination, the places of birth on the Census form are not entered the way they should be. Against Frank is written Vera Cruz, against Barry is Zumpango (this has been interpreted as Luapango and variations elsewhere) and on the next line below, is written, Mexico. These have been bracketed together as if to show that they were born in Vera Cruz, Zumpango, Mexico. In the next column, there is the note ”British by parents” and in pencil, residents.

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At the time of the Census their mother is living in Stockport, Frank (senior) does not appear on the form and further investigation by the family reveal there are no births for British citizens in Mexico for Frank or Barry. Researching the 1901 census from a decade earlier confirms the Burton family were living in Cheadle and also record the former West Ham players place of birth was Stockport. Burton’s death certificate also has his place of birth as Stockport. It is the 1911 census which causes the problems. The Burton family’s interpretation of all this is that, for whatever reason, the boys thought it fun, or misunderstood the form, and put the Mexican cities and it stuck, perhaps it made them feel more exotic. 

 

But why those cities? 

At the time, there was a lot of British involvement in the Vera Cruz to Mexico City railway which went near to Zumpango and in the construction of the Mexican Grand canal in the same area. There were advertisements in Lancashire newspapers showing the involvement of firms from the area. Frank senior was a labour foreman and may well have been recruited to work in Mexico after 1901 and may have taken the boys with him. The family had a story involving canals and Mexico which would seem to add up. 

 

With the resumption of League football after the First World War, West Ham were elected into the Second Division, Burton made 64 appearances before crossing the River Thames to join Charlton Athletic in May 1921, then moved to Grays Thurrock United in 1925. In 1927 he was recruited to head-coach to Spanish side Real Oviedo.