South Shields, County Durham born left half Jasper “Ginger” Batey began his senior career with South Shields Southern League club Portsmouth in 1912 where, playing centre forward, he scored 26 goals in 1912-13, and he then joined Brighton & Hove Albion in the 1913 close season. Batey only played 10 times during his first season at The Goldstone Ground before converting to left half, a position he made his own in 1914-15, playing in 20 of the club’s 23 games.
He enlisted with the 17th Service Battalion of Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex) Regiment, better known as The Footballers’ Battalion, in February 1915, at which point his Albion career was at an end after 4 goals in 40 appearances. Jasper was killed at the age of 25 on October 23rd 1916 while serving as a messenger with the Army Cyclist Corps. He is buried in the Cambrin Military Cemetery in France. He was one of five Brighton players killed in the First World War.