Francis McGinnes, also referred to as Frank McGinnis, was a Scottishfootballer. He was described as 'the best centre-forward that ever left Scotland'. A prolific goalscorer, he was Burslem Port Vale's best player, but died suddenly just before they started their first season in the Football League in 1892–93.
Playing career
McGinnes was one of the "Scotch Professors" who travelled south from Scotland to start a career as a professional footballer in England. He played for Lancashire side Halliwell, and after scoring five goals past Burslem Port Vale on 15 December 1888 in a Combination league game, signed a contract with the Burslem club. He made his debut at the Athletic Ground against former club Halliwell on 15 April 1889, a friendly which Vale lost 2–1; local paper The Sentinel wrote that he 'shaped very well'. He finished as the club's top scorer in the 1889–90 campaign with 33 known goals in 43 known appearances, though was reprimanded by The Sentinel for his selfish play and tendency to shoot from as far as 30 yards from goal. He put four past Bolton Wanderers on 5 October, and bagged hat-tricks against Rotherham Town, Northwich Victoria, Derby St. Luke's, and Walsall Town Swifts; he also scored the winning goal in Vale's first ever victory over rivalsStoke on 29 March. Vale were joint founders of the Midland Football League in 1890–91, and McGinnes scored at least 41 goals in 47 recorded appearances. He bagged hat-tricks against Newton Heath, Long Eaton Rangers, Leek, Warwick County, and Burton Wanderers; and scored four past Northwich Victoria. He also helped his side to battle to a draw with Stoke in the final of the North Staffordshire Charity Challenge Cup, which meant the two clubs had to share the trophy. He was appointed team captain for the 1891–92 campaign, and scored hat-tricks in games against Loughborough Town and Derby Junction; and scored four past Sheffield Wednesday. Despite this he was criticised in The Sentinel for his "grumbling", being "idle", and for refusing to "run more than six yards for the ball". In October, he was suspended by the club for "refusing to follow the committee's orders" in an FA Cup defeat to Burton Wanderers. Stoke offered Vale £30 for the player, offering him wages of £50 a week; however Vale refused the transfer. On 7 May, he was sent off at the Victoria Ground for tripping Davy Christie in the final of the Staffordshire Senior Charity Cup, which Vale won 2–0 against Stoke; this was his last appearance in a football match. He finished the campaign with 35 goals in 46 appearances. Vale were elected to the Football League in the 1892–93 season, and McGinnes would probably have been a big part in the club's first Football League campaign, however he died from nephritis on 25 June 1892, at the age of 22. He is known to have scored eleven hat-tricks and scored four goals in a game on three occasions, scoring 109 recorded goals in 140 known games in all competitions for the Vale.
