William Leese (born 10 March 1961) is an English former footballer who played for Port Vale and the Cleveland Cobras in the late 1970s.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Leese[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 March 1961[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Stoke-on-Trent, England[1] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Port Vale | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1978–1980 | Port Vale | 1 | (0) |
| 1978 | → Cleveland Cobras (loan) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editLeese graduated through the Port Vale youth team to earn a loan move to American Soccer League side Cleveland Cobras in May 1978.[1] He returned to Vale Park three months later and signed as a Port Vale professional in March 1979.[1] His first-team debut in the Fourth Division came on 1 December, in a 5–1 defeat by York City at Bootham Crescent.[1] He was not selected by new boss John McGrath and instead was forced into retirement at the end of the 1979–80 season following an injury.[1]
Career statistics
editSource:[3]
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Port Vale | 1978–79 | Fourth Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979–80 | Fourth Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 172. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ Rollin, Jack (1980). Rothmans football yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 299. ISBN 0362020175. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ Billy Leese at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)