Billy Kiernan
Encyclopedia
William E. Kiernan was an English
football midfielder
.
Kiernan began his career with Charlton Athletic
when Jimmy Seed
signed him as an amateur in 1943. However he made no impact at the club and following his release he joined the Royal Ulster Rifles
. He served in India
and Hong Kong
and whilst stationed in the latter played for Hong Kong
where his performances caught the eye of Charlton again. A versatile midfielder, Kiernan established himself as a Charlton regular for most of his career and became the club's sixth highest scorer of all time. He also featured for the London XI
that took part in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
.
He finally left Charlton in 1961 and continued in non-league football for another two years with Guildford City
before retiring. Kiernan had worked as an accountant
during his playing days and continued in this role after leaving football, as well as becoming an antiques dealer in Tunbridge Wells. He died in April 2006.
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...
football midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Kiernan began his career with Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
when Jimmy Seed
Jimmy Seed
James Marshall "Jimmy" Seed was an English footballer and football manager.Despite being born in Blackhill, Seed was brought up in the village of Whitburn on the coast just to the north of Sunderland...
signed him as an amateur in 1943. However he made no impact at the club and following his release he joined the Royal Ulster Rifles
Royal Ulster Rifles
The Royal Ulster Rifles was a British Army infantry regiment. It saw service in the Second Boer War, Great War, the Second World War and the Korean War, before being amalgamated into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1968.-History:...
. He served in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and whilst stationed in the latter played for Hong Kong
Hong Kong FC
The Soccer Section of Hong Kong Football Club has few teams. The First Team is competitng in Hong Kong Second Division League.-History:...
where his performances caught the eye of Charlton again. A versatile midfielder, Kiernan established himself as a Charlton regular for most of his career and became the club's sixth highest scorer of all time. He also featured for the London XI
London XI
The London XI was an association football representative team, specially created to take part in the 1955-58 edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the precursor of today's UEFA Europa League although not recognized by UEFA....
that took part in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
.
He finally left Charlton in 1961 and continued in non-league football for another two years with Guildford City
Guildford City F.C.
Guildford City Football Club is a football club based in Guildford, Surrey, England. The club was originally established in 1921, folded in 1974 and were reformed in 1996...
before retiring. Kiernan had worked as an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
during his playing days and continued in this role after leaving football, as well as becoming an antiques dealer in Tunbridge Wells. He died in April 2006.