William Wainwright "Billy" Watkinson (16 March 1922 – February 2001[1]) was an English footballer who played as a half back in the Football League. Playing for Liverpool, he made several appearances during their title-winning 1946/47 season. He also played for Accrington Stanley[2] and Halifax Town A.F.C.[3] He was born in Prescot, Lancashire (now in Merseyside) in 1922, and started his career at local side Prescot Cables F.C.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Wainwright Watkinson | ||
| Date of birth | 16 March 1922 | ||
| Place of birth | Prescot, Lancashire, England | ||
| Date of death | February 2001 (aged 78) | ||
| Place of death | Knowsley, Merseyside, England | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1939–1946 | Prescot Cables | N/A | (N/A) |
| 1946–1951 | Liverpool | 24 | (2) |
| 1951–54 | Accrington Stanley | 105 | (45) |
| 1954-56 | Halifax Town | 60 | (24) |
| 1956-58 | Prescot Cables | N/A | (N/A) |
| Total | 189 | (71) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Beginning at Prescot Cables in 1939, he transferred to Liverpool in February 1946 for free.[4] He made his debut for the club on 11 March against Bolton Wanderers in a 3–1 victory in the Second Round of the Lancashire Cup.[5] In his time at Liverpool, he contributed to the club's win of the English First Division title in the 1946/47 season- the first since the end of the Second World War. In January 1951, he transferred to Accrington Stanley for £3,000- a record fee for the club.[6] He scored 45 goals in 105 League games for Stanley over the course of three years, before transferring to Halifax Town in 1954. At Halifax, he scored 24 goals in 60 appearances, before returning to Prescot Cables in 1956 to play until his retirement in 1958.[7]
He died in February 2001 in Knowsley, Merseyside at the age of 78.
References
edit- ^ Watkinson, William. "England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007". ancestry. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
- ^ "William Watkinson". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
- ^ "All Halifax Town players: 1955".
- ^ "List transfers by club - Prescot Cables - LFChistory - Stats galore for Liverpool FC!".
- ^ "Liverpool v Bolton Wanderers 3-1 (Lancashire Cup: March 11, 1946)". 11 March 1946.
- ^ "Billy Watkinson transferred to Accrington Stanley". 19 January 1951.
- ^ Philip Ferns' Career
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