Billy Dunlop (Sunderland footballer)

William Dunlop (16 August 1869 – 25 May 1960) was a Scottish footballer who played in the English Football League for Sunderland and in the Scottish League for Rangers. He played as a half-back, either at wing half or in the centre.[2][3]

Billy Dunlop
Personal information
Full name William Dunlop
Date of birth 16 August 1869
Place of birth Annbank, Scotland
Date of death 25 May 1960(1960-05-25) (aged 90)[1]
Place of death Tarbolton, Scotland
Position(s) Wing half / Centre half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1888–1893 Annbank
1893–1899 Sunderland 134 (6)
1899–1900 Rangers 6 (0)
1900 Partick Thistle 1 (0)
1900–1901 Annbank
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Dunlop was born in Annbank, South Ayrshire, and played for his hometown club (taking part in a trial for the Scotland national team in 1890)[4] before coming to England to sign for Sunderland at the start of 1893. He was the uncle (though only two years older) of his new club's star forward Jimmy Miller,[5][6] while another former Annbank player, defender Robert Smellie, was also in the Sunderland side (he and Dunlop were teammates in the team's run to the quarter-finals of the 1891–92 Scottish Cup).[7][8]

Dunlop made his debut for the Wearside club on 28 January 1893 in a 4–2 home win against The Wednesday, and played a few more games at the end of the 1892–93 season once the League title was secured. From the following season onwards he was a regular in the first team, contributing to their runners-up position in 1894 and third League championship in the 1894–95 season and making 146 appearances in League and FA Cup.[9] He also played on the winning side in a post-season friendly match against Scottish champions Heart of Midlothian, dubbed by some the "1895 World Championship".[10]

Dunlop returned to Scotland in 1899 to join Rangers, and played six Division One games in the 1899–1900 season – in each case covering for one of the regular half-backs, Neilly Gibson, Bobby Neil and Jacky Robertson – plus a few more games in other competitions, in a couple of which Jimmy Miller also played.[3] He moved on to Partick Thistle in the summer of 1900[11] before returning to Annbank a few months later.[2][12][13]

References

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  1. ^ Family F181 Dunlop, The Gregg Family History Project. Retrieved 19 February 2022
  2. ^ a b Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData (Tony Brown). p. 80. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  3. ^ a b "Games Involving Dunlop, William in season 1899/1900". FitbaStats: Rangers. Bobby Sinnet & Thomas Jamieson. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  4. ^ International Trial Matches., The Scotsman, 3 March 1890, scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
  5. ^ Mitchell, Andy (2021). The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939. Amazon. ISBN 9798513846642.
  6. ^ Ayrshire's Best Half-back. The Scottish Referee, 20 January 1893. Scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
  7. ^ Saturday's Football. | The Scottish Cup. | Rangers V. Annbank., The Glasgow Herald, 1 February 1892
  8. ^ Weighed In The Balance. The Scottish Referee, 1 February 1892. Scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
  9. ^ "Player Details: Billy Dunlop". The StatCat. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  10. ^ "Sat 27 Apr 1895: World Championship". London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  11. ^ 1900-01 Partick Thistle – The Early Years. Retrieved 27 July 2021
  12. ^ Watson, Keith; Young, Chris. "SAFC Top 100: Chapter 5". A Love Supreme. ALS Publications. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  13. ^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)