Frank Costello (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frederick G. Costello | ||
| Date of birth | 1884 | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, England | ||
| Date of death | 19 December 1914 | ||
| Place of death | France | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Soho Villa | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1904–???? | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | (0) |
| ????–1907 | Halesowen Town | ||
| 1907–1909 | Southampton | 41 | (10) |
| 1909 | West Ham United | 12 | (3) |
| 1909–1910 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | (0) |
| 1910–???? | Nelson | ||
| – | Merthyr Town | ||
| – | Salisbury City | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Frederick "Frank" G. Costello (1884 – 19 December 1914) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for Southampton and West Ham United prior to the First World War.
Costello was born in Birmingham and after playing his youth football with Soho Villa he joined West Bromwich Albion in September 1904. Failing to make the grade he moved to Halesowen Town before moving to the south coast to join Southern League Southampton in the 1907 close season.
He made his professional debut on 14 September 1907, scoring in a 2–0 victory at Luton Town. He initially played at inside right alongside Bert Hodgkinson on the outside and either Frank Jefferis, John Lewis or George Smith in the centre. Described as "a trifle slow, he was clever with the ball and had a habit of disconcerting the opposition by making for goal when he was expected to make a pass". In the 1907–08 season he scored nine goals from 28 league appearances.
He also played in all six FA Cup matches as Saints reached the semi-finals, losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers who went on to take the cup in the final. In the round four (quarter final) replay against Everton at The Dell on 11 March 1908 he played his best game for the "Saints". In the first half he hooked a John Johnston cross past the Everton goalkeeper Billy Scott. With the score 2–1 to Southampton at half-time, the second half "belonged to Frank Costello". He was involved in most of Southampton's attacks and when John Bainbridge swung over a deep cross from the right it appeared to have been over hit and going out of play. Suddenly, "out of nowhere", Costello arrived and met the ball with his head, sending it back over the goalkeeper into the far corner of the net. According to Duncan Holley in "Match of the Millennium", "a contortionist would have had problems attaining a position ... to reach the ball." The Saints won the match 3–2, but lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-final with goals from former Southampton players Wally Radford and George Hedley.
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