Full-back Basil Gates made his England international début in the 9-0 win over Wales at Merthyr in January 1920 and a few months later he was in Antwerp as a member of the Great Britain squad at the Olympic Games. But defeat by Norway in the first round ended Britain’s chances of progressing further. Gates became captain of the Hampshire County team and also his club side, London Caledonians, who won the FA Amateur Cup with a 2-1 win over Evesham Town in the 1923 final. Basil and his brother Eric, who played at left-back in the 1923 final, were eligible for the Caledonians because they had a Scottish mother. Despite playing in the Olympics and winning an Amateur Cup winners’ medal, one of Basil’s finest moments was in leading Caledonians to victory over second division Charlton Athletic in the first round of the London Challenge Cup in 1929-30. An amateur throughout his career, he played one Football League game for Southend United at Aberdare in the 1924-25 season. Gates was a Civil Servant and worked for the Board of Education.
Great Britain