Billy Rees
Encyclopedia
William "Billy" Rees was a Welsh
former professional footballer and Wales
international.
. He had been working as a coal miner while playing amateur football for Caernarvon Rovers when he was spotted by Cardiff City
manager Cyril Spiers
. He made eighty-three appearances in wartime fixtures for the club, scoring seventy-four times, as well as appearing in a wartime international for Wales
against England
in May 1945. With the Football League returning following the end of the war Rees became a major part of the side, helping them to promotion in the first season. He finished as top scorer the following year but at the end of the 1948-49 season his good form saw Tottenham Hotspur
take him to London
for £14,000, just weeks after winning the first of his four Wales caps against Northern Ireland
.
Early into his Tottenham career he suffered from a number of minor injuries which caused his form to severely dip and he found himself out of the side. He was quickly sold to Leyton Orient
at the end of the season for £14,500. He managed to return to form with Orient and spent six years at the club before ending his career with spells at non-league sides Headington United and Kettering Town
.
Following his retiremnt from football he worked as a plant operator before later joining a pharmaceutical company based in Bridgend
.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
former professional footballer and Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
international.
Career
Rees was born in Pwllcarn Terrace, BlaengarwBlaengarw
Blaengarw is the uppermost village in the river valley of the River Garw, in the county borough of Bridgend, Wales.-External links:* *...
. He had been working as a coal miner while playing amateur football for Caernarvon Rovers when he was spotted by Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
manager Cyril Spiers
Cyril Spiers
Cyril Henry Spiers was an English association football goalkeeper who played for Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur and later went on to manage at Football League clubs for twenty years.-Career:...
. He made eighty-three appearances in wartime fixtures for the club, scoring seventy-four times, as well as appearing in a wartime international for Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in May 1945. With the Football League returning following the end of the war Rees became a major part of the side, helping them to promotion in the first season. He finished as top scorer the following year but at the end of the 1948-49 season his good form saw Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
take him to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for £14,000, just weeks after winning the first of his four Wales caps against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
.
Early into his Tottenham career he suffered from a number of minor injuries which caused his form to severely dip and he found himself out of the side. He was quickly sold to Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
at the end of the season for £14,500. He managed to return to form with Orient and spent six years at the club before ending his career with spells at non-league sides Headington United and Kettering Town
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
.
Following his retiremnt from football he worked as a plant operator before later joining a pharmaceutical company based in Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
.