Francis "Frank" (& Harry) O'Rourke
Francis "Frank" O'Rourke was one of four children born to the Irish-born coal-miner, Edward "Rork", and Mary Ward before she in 1882 by ten in Shotts by Airdrie, her home-town, turned to poor-relief due to her husband's death the year before. Francis had been born in 1876 in Cleland. His younger brother, Henry's, "Harry's" birth had been in 1879 and both would go on to be professional footballers, but not before they had followed their father down the pit, albeit in Francis's case at the senior level as something of a late-starter.
He began in the junior game with Kirkwood Thistle before at twenty-two, a powerful centre-forward with a turn of speed, he joined Airdrieonians. Then for a year it was Albion Rovers, it and Kirkwood both in Coatbridge, Airdrieonians once more for seven seasons to 1907 including promotion in 1903 and, already aged thirty, a move South.
He went to Bradford City, founded only in 1903 and at the instigation of a Scot, managed to begin with by Robert Campbell from Renton and from 1905 in the hands of Peter O'Rourke from Newmains by Cleland but no relation. And it was Bradford that would become Frank's base for the best part of the next two decades, initially as a player, winning the FA Cup in 1911, and then as a coach, reserve team from 1914 to 1922 and to 1926 first-team.
However, with the arrival of Coin Veitch as manager he resigned and came home, settling in Bargeddie and returning to hewing coal. And did with his wife Katherine Pryce. They had married in 1903 in Old Monkland and had three children born in Scotland, two of whom survived. And it would in Bargeddie that first Katherine would pass away, in 1948 aged sixty-nine. She would be followed in 1954 by seventy-eight year-old Francis to be buried in Craigton Cemetery.
Birth Locator:
1876 - Omoa Square Cleland, Lanarkshire
Residence Locations:
1881 - 2, Bellerophon Row, Holytown
1891-1901 - No 57 Langmuir Sq. Coatbridge, Lanarkshire
1907-26 - Bradford
1948-54 - 30, Monkland View Crescent, Bargeddie, Lanarkshire
Death Locator:
1954 - 30, Monkland View Crescent, Bargeddie, Lanarkshire
Grave Locator:
St. Peter's Cemetery, Dalbeth, Glasgow
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