William Bridgeman (born 12 December 1882 - 1947) was a professional footballer who played as a forward.[1]
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Walter Bridgeman | ||
| Date of birth | 12 December 1882 | ||
| Place of birth | Bromley-by-Bow, London, England | ||
| Date of death | 1947 (aged 64) | ||
| Place of death | Essex, England | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1903–1906 | West Ham United | 72 | (19) |
| 1906–1919 | Chelsea | 146 | (21) |
| 1919–? | Southend United | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 August 2010 | |||
Career
editBridgeman was born in Bromley-by-Bow in 1882. He signed for West Ham United in 1903 making his debut in a 4–1 home defeat to Bristol Rovers on 10 October.[2]
Joining West Ham from local side, Adam and Eve FC, Bridgeman scored West Ham's first ever goal at Upton Park in a 3–0 win against Millwall in September 1904. Folklore has it that he scored all three goals in this game although some references show one of the goals being scored by another player, Jack Flynn.[3]
Bridgeman left West Ham in 1906 to join Chelsea, helping them gain promotion to the First Division in 1912.[4] After 159 games with Chelsea he moved to Southend United, where he ended his footballing career.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Billy Bridgeman". Spartacus Educational.
- ^ Welcome to the Wonderful World of West Ham United Statistics Billy Bridgeman
- ^ Northcott, John (1993). West Ham United A Complete Record. Breedon Books. p. 198. ISBN 1-873626-44-4.
- ^ Chelsea Football Club - A History. William Walter (Billy) Bridgeman
- ^ Hogg, Tony (2005). Who's Who of West Ham United. Profile Sports Media. p. 29. ISBN 1-899429-01-8.