Bird Walter Image 1 Dundee 1922

Description

Hugglescote, Leicestershire born inside forward Walter Bird began his football career with Ellistown St Christopher’s in 1908 and played for Hugglescote United in 1909 and Coalville Swifts in 1910 and was described as the best young forward in Leicestershire before joining First Division Notts County in 1912, making his Football League debut at Chelsea in April 1913, his only appearance immediately before Notts County’s relegation at the season end. He perhaps failed to live up to his potential but remained as a fringe player at Meadow Lane until peacetime football was suspended in 1915 due to the onset of the First World War scoring twice in a further 9 appearances.

After the War he joined Grimsby Town in 1919 scoring twice in 7 appearances before moving to Bristol Rovers in May 1920, playing in their inaugural Football League fixture at Millwall that August and scoring their first League hat-trick, grabbing all 3 goals against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 3-1 win the following month. After 6 goals in 22 appearances in 1920-21 he moved north of the border to join Dundee in the Scottish League, where he enjoyed two seasons with The Dark Blues, where he played with the likes of Dave Halliday and Alex Troup before Heart of Midlothian signed him for £600 in January 1924.

He scored a hat-trick on his debut for The Jambos in a 5-2 win over Queen’s Park at Tynecastle but joined Kilmarnock in July 1924 after 6 goals in 11 games for Hearts, playing a season for Killie before returning to Leicestershire where he joined Midland League Loughborough Corinthians in 1925, where he played until his retirement.