Frank Thorpe (13 November 1879 – 17 April 1928)[1] was an English footballer who played as a centre-half for various clubs in the 1900s, including Southampton and Bury, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1903.
Thorpe was born in Hayfield, Derbyshire[2] and started his football career with Stalybridge Rovers, before a brief spell on the books of Newton Heath, where he failed to break into the first-team.
Thorpe was an intelligent centre-half, whose experience strengthened the "Saints" defence, and he was quickly appointed as team captain,[2] helping the "Saints" to reach the FA Cup semi-finals where they went out to Wolverhampton Wanderers, beating First Division Everton en route.
The Saints continued this good form until Thorpe was injured in late December, to be replaced by Sam Jepp.
With other key players such as Arthur Hughes and Frank Jefferis also suffering with injuries, Saints fell away until Thorpe's return at the end of March.