Frank Bedingfield

Frank Bedingfield (1877 – 3 November 1904) was an English footballer who played at centre-forward for various clubs around the turn of the twentieth century, including a season in the Football League First Division with Aston Villa.

Football career Bedingfield was born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear and represented South Shields Schools before moving to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. After a spell with Rushden he joined Aston Villa in June 1898. The referee was late arriving for the match at The Wednesday. After some deliberation, it was decided to start without him. Though he took over at half-time, the delay meant that darkness fell with 10 minutes left to play. Bedingfield scored the equalizer for Villa a minute after Tommy Crawshaw had given Wednesday the lead on 20 minutes. After two goals from Willie Dryburgh, Wednesday were 3–1 up when the referee Arthur Scragg called a halt on 79 minutes because of the failing light. The Football League ruled that the match had to be finished so the remaining eleven minutes of the match were played on 13 March 1899, when Bedingfield was replaced by Billy Garraty. Despite Villa's best efforts, they were unable to score but instead Fred Richards managed to scramble another goal for Wednesday in the final minute. Although Wednesday won this match, they were relegated at the end of the season while Villa were champions.

Bedingfield left Villa in August 1899 In the Second Round, Q.P.R. met fellow Southern League club Millwall Athletic and lost 2–0.

Bedingfield moved to Portsmouth, another Southern League club, in the summer of 1900, where he was to remain for two years before dropping out of professional football.

Later life After ceasing his football career, Bedingfield emigrated to South Africa where he died on 3 November 1904, aged 27.