{{Short description|Irish footballer}} {{Use Irish English|date=March 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Fran Watters | image = | fullname = Francis Watters | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | height = | position = Centre Forward | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = | years2 = 19xx–1926 | years3 = 1926–1927 | years4 = | years5 = 1928–19xx | clubs1 = Olympia | clubs2 = Shelbourne | clubs3 = Brideville | clubs4 = Drumcondra | clubs5 = Shamrock Rovers | caps1 = | caps2 = | caps3 = | caps4 = | caps5 = | goals1 = | goals2 = | goals3 = | goals4 = | goals5 = | nationalyears1 = 1926 | nationalteam1 = Ireland | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | club-update = | ntupdate = }}
'''Fran Watters''' was an Ireland international footballer. Watters played for several clubs in the League of Ireland and in 1925–26 scored 15 goals for Shelbourne, helping them win their first ever League of Ireland title.
==Playing career== ===Olympia=== In 1917–18, together with Jack McCarthy, Watters was a member of the Olympia team that won both the Leinster Junior Cup and Leinster Senior Cup and reached the final of the IFA Junior Cup. In the Leinster Senior Cup final against Shelbourne, Watters scored the only goal in a 1–0 win.<ref>David Needham: ''Ireland's First Real World Cup -The Story of the 1924 Ireland Olympic Football Team'' (2012, The Manuscript Publisher) {{ISBN|978-0-9571157-2-9}}</ref>
===League of Ireland=== In the 1925–26 season while playing for Shelbourne, Watters formed a successful partnership with John Simpson. Between them Watters and Simpson scored 32 goals, helping Shelbourne win their first League of Ireland title. Watters 15 goals also saw him called up to the Ireland squad. The following season, he played for Brideville and helped them reach the 1926–27 FAI Cup final which they lost 1–0 after a replay to Drumcondra. In 1928–29 Watters joined Shamrock Rovers. On 28 October 1928 he scored a hat–trick for Rovers in an 11–0 win against Bray Unknowns. John Joe Flood also scored a hat–trick while Bob Fullam scored twice. This result remains Rovers all-time record win.<ref>[https://leagueofirelandhistory.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/a-beautiful-friendship/ ''A Beautiful Friendship'']</ref><ref name="Graham">{{cite book|last=Graham|first=Alex|title=Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921-2005|year=2005 |publisher=Soccer Books Limited|isbn=1-86223-135-4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/news/35-news/2605-milltown-milestones |title=www.shamrockrovers.ie |access-date=2015-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304202252/http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/news/35-news/2605-milltown-milestones |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Paul Doolan|first=Robert Goggins|title=The Hoops|publisher=Gill & MacmillanLtd|year=1993|isbn=0-7171-2121-6}}</ref>
===Ireland international=== On 21 March 1926, while playing for Shelbourne, Watters made his one and only appearance for Ireland in an away friendly against Italy. Watters was originally included in the squad as a reserve. However, when Ned Brooks had to withdraw due to the death of his son, Watters found himself in the starting eleven.<ref>[http://www.redsindependent.com/100yearsofinternationals.htm ''100 Years of Shelbourne Internationals'']</ref><ref>[http://www.soccerscene.ie/ss_gen/player.php?id=205&level=sssenior www.soccerscene.ie]</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Cullen|first=Donal|title=Freestaters: The Republic of Ireland Soccer Team 1921–1939|publisher=Dessert Islands Books|year=2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Sean|title=The Boys In Green: The FAI International Story|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|year=1997}}</ref>
==Honours== ===Olympia=== *'''Leinster Senior Cup''' **''Winners'': 1917–18{{fact|date=March 2022}} *'''Leinster Junior Cup''' **''Winners'': 1917–18{{fact|date=March 2022}} *'''IFA Junior Cup''' **''Runners Up'': 1917–18{{fact|date=March 2022}}
===Shelbourne=== *'''League of Ireland''' **''Winners'': 1925–26{{fact|date=March 2022}}
===Brideville=== *'''FAI Cup''' **''Runners Up'': 1926–27{{fact|date=March 2022}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watters, Fran}} Category:Year of birth missing Category:Place of birth missing Category:Year of death missing Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers Category:Republic of Ireland men's international footballers Category:Shelbourne F.C. players Category:Drumcondra F.C. players Category:Shamrock Rovers F.C. players Category:League of Ireland players Category:Men's association football forwards