William Loudon Wardrope (9 September 1874 – 1911) was a Scottish footballer who played in the Football League for Middlesbrough and Newcastle United, mainly as an outside left.[3][2]

Willie Wardrope
Personal information
Full name William Loudon Wardrope[1]
Date of birth 9 September 1874[1]
Place of birth Wishaw, Scotland[1]
Date of death 1911 (aged 36–37)[1]
Place of death United States[2]
Position(s) Outside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1892–1893 Dalziel Rovers
1893–1894 Motherwell
1894–1895 Linthouse
1895Motherwell (loan) 1 (0)
1895–1900 Newcastle United 127 (44)
1900–1902 Middlesbrough 62 (21)
1902–1904 Third Lanark 42 (14)
1904–1906 Fulham 58 (29)
1906–1907 Swindon Town 38 (8)
1907–1908 Hamilton Academical 31 (6)
1908–1909 Raith Rovers 32 (11)
Total 391 (133)
International career
1903 Scottish League XI 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Wishaw-born winger Wardrope began his football career at Dalziel Rovers, being selected for Scotland at Junior level[4] before playing for Scottish League Motherwell as an amateur in 1893, and Linthouse in 1894.[5] In August 1895 he joined Football League Second Division side Newcastle United, making his Football League debut and scoring against Loughbrough in September of that year, in a 3–0 win at St James' Park. He finished the season as both an ever-present and as Newcastle's top scorer, scoring 20 goals in 36 games including a hat-trick against Darwen in November.[5] Wardrope scored a further 14 goals in the 1897–98 campaign as Newcastle won promotion to the First Division for the first time in their history[6] as Second Division runners-up, qualifying by beating Stoke and Blackburn Rovers in two-legged 'test matches'. He spent two further seasons with the Toon in the top flight before joining Middlesbrough in April 1900 after 51 goals in 145 appearances for the Magpies.[5][6]

Wardrope had two full seasons at Boro, helping them win promotion to the First Division in 1901–02, scoring 10 goals as they finished Second Division runners-up.[5] But at the end of the season, having scored 24 goals in 73 appearances, he returned to Scotland and joined Third Lanark, winning the Scottish Football League championship in 1903–04[7][8] plus two Glasgow Cups;[9][10] while with the Warriors he was selected to represent the Scottish League team in a 1–0 defeat to the Irish League at Grosvenor Park, Belfast in February 1903.[5][11]

After two seasons at Cathkin Park he then joined Southern League club Fulham in 1904, scoring 32 goals in 68 appearances for the Cottagers and helping them to win the Southern League championship in 1905–06.[5][12] He transferred to Swindon Town in the 1906 close season and scored nine times for the Robins in 39 appearances,[13] before returning to Scotland again to join Hamilton Academical in 1907,[4] subsequently joining Raith Rovers in 1908 before his eventual retirement.[2][5] He emigrated to the United States in 1910, but within a year had died from cholera.[4]

Career statistics

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Source:[1]

Club Season League FA Cup Test Matches Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Newcastle United 1895–96 Second Division 30 14 6 6 0 0 36 20
1896–97 Second Division 29 11 1 0 0 0 30 11
1897–98 Second Division 26 13 5 1 4 1 35 15
1898–99 First Division 24 2 2 0 0 0 26 2
1899–1900 First Division 18 4 0 0 0 0 18 4
Total 127 44 14 7 4 1 145 52
Middlesbrough 1899–1900 Second Division 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
1900–01 Second Division 33 11 9 3 0 0 42 14
1901–02 Second Division 27 10 2 0 0 0 29 10
Total 62 21 11 3 0 0 73 24
Career Total 189 65 25 10 4 1 218 76

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Willie Wardrope at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b c John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. SoccerData. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
  4. ^ a b c Wardrop, William (1907), Hamilton Academical Memory Bank
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Wardrope Willie Image 2 Fulham 1904". Vintage footballers. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  6. ^ a b Willie Wardrope player profile, Toon1892.com
  7. ^ One Hit Wonders: Third Lanark (Scotland), 1903-04, Soccer Stories, 13 January 2014
  8. ^ Scotland 1903/04, RSSSF, 21 October 2001
  9. ^ Third Lanark v Celtic 3-0 (Glasgow Cup Final: October 25, 1902), Play Up Liverpool
  10. ^ Football. | Glasgow Cup–Final Tie., The Glasgow Herald, 30 November 1903
  11. ^ (SFL player) Willie Wardrope, London Hearts Supporters Club
  12. ^ History of Fulham Football Club | Southern League Winners May 1906, Fulham FC
  13. ^ Player Profile | Willie Wardrope, Swindon-Town-FC