Lockett William Image 3 Northampton Town 1921

Description

Tipton, Staffordshire born centre forward William Lockett began his senior football career with local professional club Wolverhampton Wanderers, then in the Second Division, making his Football League debut at Grimsby Town in September 1913. He scored twice in 6 appearances for them, against Leicester Fosse in a 2-1 home win in November, and again at Molineux the following March as they beat Stockport County 3-1.

He signed for Southern League Northampton Town in the summer of 1914, playing both sides of the First World War, and would become their record goalscorer over the next 12 years, albeit his record of 110 goals in 282 games was overhauled first by Eddie Bowen in the late 1920’s and then by Jack English in the 1950’s.

Of these, 34 came in the two seasons either side of the War from 81 appearances, and once Northampton became a Football League club in August 1920, Lockett top scored in three of the first four seasons, albeit finishing well behind George Whitworth’s 28 goals in their inaugural Third Division (South) 1920-21 season.

Those six post war League seasons produced 76 goals in 201 appearances for Lockett, including hat-tricks in a 3-0 FA Cup tie win over Reading in January 1922 and an 8-0 thrashing of Southend United in March 1924, and he signed off in style, scoring in his farewell game at Queen’s Park Rangers in May 1926, joining non league Kidderminster Harriers that summer before his eventual retirement.