Batey: Norman Robert (Bob)

1946-1947: & WW2 Guest: 1945-1946: (Player Details) (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Wing Half

Born: Haltwhistle, Northumberland: 18-10-1912

Debut v Preston North End (a): 31-08-1946

5’9” 11st 2lb (1946)

After playing for Greenhead South Tyne Rangers, he signed amateur forms for Carlisle United on 10th September 1931, turning professional on 9th October 1931. Over the next two years he played eleven games for the club. He joined Preston North End on 29th March 1934 and had his best years at Deepdale, before the War, winning an F.A Cup winners medal in 1938. He replaced Bill Tremelling when the centre-half got injured in the 1936-37 season. However, the form of Jimmy Milne and Bill Shankly meant he only played fourteen games that season. That year Preston challenged Arsenal for the First Division title. In the final match of the season the two teams played each other. During the game Jimmy Milne broke his collarbone in a collision with Alf Kirchen. Ten man Preston lost 3-1 and Arsenal won the championship. Bob Batey replaced Jimmy Milne for the 1938 F.A. Cup Final against Huddersfield Town. This was the first time that a whole match was shown live on television. Even so, far more people watched the game in the stadium as only around 10,000 people at the time owned television sets. No goals were scored during the first ninety minutes and so extra-time was played. In the last minute of extra-time, Bill Shankly put George Mutch through on goal. Alf Young, Huddersfield's centre-half, brought him down from behind and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. Mutch was injured in the tackle but after receiving treatment he got up and scored via the crossbar. It was the only goal in the game and Batey won an F.A. Cup Winner's medal. Batey also deputised for Jimmy Milne in the 1938-39 season. He was included in the team in the first three games of the 1939-40 season that was brought to an end by the outbreak of the Second World War. Since arriving at the club he had played in ninety-three League matches and one hundred and eleven matches in total. He guested with Preston in the early years of the War playing twenty-one games in 1939-40 and six in 1941-42, returning in 1945-46 to play another eight, but he guested with several other clubs. He was at Anfield in 1940-41 and 1941-42, where he played twelve and one game respectively for Liverpool. In 1942-43 he played eight games for Newcastle United and two for Crystal Palace. In 1943-44 he played twice for Southport, twice for Millwall, twice for Gateshead and once for Hartlepools United. In 1945-46 he played once for Barrow and then guested for Leeds as the war years came to a close and joined Leeds full-time on 11th April 1946. As a wartime guest, he made his debut for them at Left-Half in a 0-3 home defeat by Newcastle United on 6th April 1946. He then played in that position for the remaining games of the 1945-46 season. With the recommencement of Football League fixtures he was at Left-Half for the first five fixtures of the 1946-47 season before switching to Centre-Half for two games when Tom Holley was injured. The return of Tom Holley coincided with the return of Irish International Left Half Bobby Browne and Batey found himself on the outer. He made just one further appearance for United in a 0-1 home defeat by Blackburn Rovers on 26th October 1946. With Bobby Browne and the emerging Con Martin and the versatile Gerry Henry all available for the Left-Half role and Tom Holley an almost ever-present Centre-Half, Batey had to resign himself to a future in the Reserves, as his better days were clearly behind him. A Free Transfer took him to Southport on 20th June 1947, playing thirteen games at Centre-Half and sixteen at Left-Half while at Haig Avenue. He became player-coach of Non-League Annfield Plains in May 1947. He later worked for Leyland Motors, playing for their works team from 1949 and then became Reserve team player-coach of Chorley FC on 8th September 1952. He continued to work at Leyland Motors until he retired in 1977. He died in Chorley Hospital on 29th November 1988 after a series of heart attacks.