Dave Massart
Encyclopedia
David Louis "Dave" Massart (2 November 1919–1993) was an English
professional footballer who scored 73 goals in 126 appearances in the Football League
playing for Birmingham City
, Walsall
, Bury
and Chesterfield
. He played as a centre forward.
district of Birmingham
. He joined Birmingham
as an amateur
in 1938, and turned professional in February 1939, but had not played for the first team when the outbreak of the Second World War put a stop to the Football League
. He played intermittently in the later years of wartime competition, contributing 9 goals from 11 games as Birmingham won the Football League South
in the 1945–46 season, and finally made his debut in the Second Division
on 7 September 1946 in a 2–0 home defeat to Burnley
. Described as "a real old-fashioned number nine", Massart scored freely for the reserves
but was unable to establish himself in the first team.
In the 1947 close season, Massart joined up with former Birmingham clubmate Harry Hibbs, then manager of Third Division South
club Walsall
. He made a spectacular start to his Walsall career, scoring a hat-trick
in each of the first three home games. He finished up with 23 goals from 27 league games, which made him Walsall's leading scorer for 1947–48, despite moving back to the Second Division with Bury
in March 1948, well before the end of the season.
Bury paid £2,000 for Massart's services. He repaid their investment by scoring 45 goals in 85 league games for the club, becoming their leading scorer for two consecutive seasons. After three years he moved to his last Football League club; Chesterfield
paid £6,000 for his services in February 1951 in the hope that his goalscoring might save them from relegation
from the Second Division. Five goals from 11 games was too little too late, and Massart moved into non-league football
with Weymouth
before the 1951–52 season.
He continued in prolific vein at Weymouth. In five seasons he scored 114 goals in 156 games in the Southern League
, one of only three Weymouth players to achieve 100 career goals in that competition, and he twice scored hat-tricks in consecutive matches. In his final season, the club organised a benefit match for him against a Football Association
Guest XI; 7,000 spectators turned up, far in excess of the usual home attendance.
Massart retired from the game in 1956. He remained in Weymouth, where he ran a post office
and then a hotel. He died in the town in December 1993 at the age of 74.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer who scored 73 goals in 126 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
, Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
and Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
. He played as a centre forward.
Career
Massart was born in the YardleyYardley, Birmingham
Yardley is an area in east Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee.Birmingham Yardley is a constituency and its Member of Parliament is John Hemming.-Features:...
district of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. He joined Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
as an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
in 1938, and turned professional in February 1939, but had not played for the first team when the outbreak of the Second World War put a stop to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. He played intermittently in the later years of wartime competition, contributing 9 goals from 11 games as Birmingham won the Football League South
Football League North and South
The Football League North and Football League South divisions of the Football League were created for the League to continue while limiting the amount of movement that was required by teams. The Leagues started in 1941; however, the leagues only had one full season, in 1945-46...
in the 1945–46 season, and finally made his debut in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
on 7 September 1946 in a 2–0 home defeat to Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
. Described as "a real old-fashioned number nine", Massart scored freely for the reserves
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
but was unable to establish himself in the first team.
In the 1947 close season, Massart joined up with former Birmingham clubmate Harry Hibbs, then manager of Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
club Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
. He made a spectacular start to his Walsall career, scoring a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in each of the first three home games. He finished up with 23 goals from 27 league games, which made him Walsall's leading scorer for 1947–48, despite moving back to the Second Division with Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
in March 1948, well before the end of the season.
Bury paid £2,000 for Massart's services. He repaid their investment by scoring 45 goals in 85 league games for the club, becoming their leading scorer for two consecutive seasons. After three years he moved to his last Football League club; Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
paid £6,000 for his services in February 1951 in the hope that his goalscoring might save them from relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the Second Division. Five goals from 11 games was too little too late, and Massart moved into non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
with Weymouth
Weymouth F.C.
Weymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...
before the 1951–52 season.
He continued in prolific vein at Weymouth. In five seasons he scored 114 goals in 156 games in the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, one of only three Weymouth players to achieve 100 career goals in that competition, and he twice scored hat-tricks in consecutive matches. In his final season, the club organised a benefit match for him against a Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
Guest XI; 7,000 spectators turned up, far in excess of the usual home attendance.
Massart retired from the game in 1956. He remained in Weymouth, where he ran a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and then a hotel. He died in the town in December 1993 at the age of 74.