Billy Walker (Scottish footballer)
Encyclopedia
William Baird "Billy" Walker (5 May 1893 – after 1925) was a Scottish professional footballer who scored 53 goals in 188 appearances in the Football League
playing for Bradford City
, Birmingham
, Coventry City
, Merthyr Town
, Bristol City
and Sheffield Wednesday
.
Walker was born in New Cumnock
, Ayrshire
. A forward, he began his football career with New Cumnock and Lugar Boswell
before coming to England to join Football League First Division
club and FA Cup-holders
Bradford City
in August 1911. He remained at the club for 18 months, playing only five league games in that time, before returning to Scotland in March 1913 suffering from homesickness. A few months later he ventured south again, signing for Birmingham
of the Second Division
. He scored on his debut in a 2–2 draw at Blackpool
, and finished the 1913–14 season with eight goals from 12 league appearances. He played only rarely for the first team the following season, but scored six hat-trick
s for the reserves
.
Walker returned to the club towards the end of the First World War, scoring 15 goals in 29 games in the last season of the wartime leagues, and kept his place at the beginning of the 1919–20 Football League season, moving on to Coventry City
, newly elected to the Second Division, in November 1919. The following year he dropped down a division to join Merthyr Town
, founder members of the inaugural season of the Third Division South
, for whom he scored 24 goals in 80 league games. From October 1922 Walker spent a year with Bristol City
, scoring 8 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, before finishing off his Football League career at Sheffield Wednesday
, where in what remained of the 1923–24 season he scored 5 goals in 19 games.
He spent the 1924–25 season as player-manager of Weymouth
, whom he led to sixth place in the Southern League
Western Division and runners-up spot in the Western League
, and ended his playing career with Leamington Town
and Redditch Town
.
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing for Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
, Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, Merthyr Town
Merthyr Town F.C.
Merthyr Town Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. For the 2011–2012 season the club will be playing in the Western Football League Premier Division at Penydarren Park in Merthyr....
, Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
and Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
.
Walker was born in New Cumnock
New Cumnock
New Cumnock is a place in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It expanded during the coal mining era but, like so many others, suffered after the deep shaft pits closed in the 1980's...
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
. A forward, he began his football career with New Cumnock and Lugar Boswell
Lugar Boswell Thistle F.C.
Lugar Boswell Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club, based in the village of Lugar, near Cumnock, Ayrshire. Members of the Scottish Junior Football Association, they currently play in the Ayrshire District League...
before coming to England to join Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
club and FA Cup-holders
1911 FA Cup Final
The 1911 FA Cup Final was the 40th FA Cup final. It was contested by Bradford City and Newcastle United. The first game resulted in a goalless draw at Crystal Palace...
Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
in August 1911. He remained at the club for 18 months, playing only five league games in that time, before returning to Scotland in March 1913 suffering from homesickness. A few months later he ventured south again, signing for Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
of the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. He scored on his debut in a 2–2 draw at Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, and finished the 1913–14 season with eight goals from 12 league appearances. He played only rarely for the first team the following season, but scored six hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
s for the reserves
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
.
Walker returned to the club towards the end of the First World War, scoring 15 goals in 29 games in the last season of the wartime leagues, and kept his place at the beginning of the 1919–20 Football League season, moving on to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, newly elected to the Second Division, in November 1919. The following year he dropped down a division to join Merthyr Town
Merthyr Town F.C.
Merthyr Town Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. For the 2011–2012 season the club will be playing in the Western Football League Premier Division at Penydarren Park in Merthyr....
, founder members of the inaugural season of the Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
, for whom he scored 24 goals in 80 league games. From October 1922 Walker spent a year with Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, scoring 8 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, before finishing off his Football League career at Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, where in what remained of the 1923–24 season he scored 5 goals in 19 games.
He spent the 1924–25 season as player-manager of Weymouth
Weymouth F.C.
Weymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...
, whom he led to sixth place in the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
Western Division and runners-up spot in the Western League
Western Football League
The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
, and ended his playing career with Leamington Town
Leamington F.C.
Leamington Football Club is the main football club in Whitnash, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, currently playing in the Southern Football League Premier Division....
and Redditch Town
Redditch United F.C.
Redditch United F.C. is an English football club based in Redditch, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at the Valley.-Birmingham Combination:...
.