Davies Billy Image 1 West Bromwich Albion 1909

Description

Winger Billy Davies was born in Rhayader, Powys and first played for junior clubs Rhayader in 1900, Llandrindod Wells in 1901, and Knighton in 1902 before joining Shrewsbury Town in 1903. He joined First Division Stoke in 1905 making his Football League debut against Newcastle United that December but making only 4 appearances in his debut season. He played in total 17 times for Stoke in two seasons scoring once against Preston North End on the final day of the 1906-07 which saw Stoke suffer relegation. He then spent a season with Southern League Crystal Palace in 1907-08 where he scored 3 times in 32 appearances before joining West Bromwich Albion after a year in London, playing 56 matches for the Baggies over the next two seasons, scoring 4 times. He returned to Palace in 1910 and went on to play a further 162 times in five years, scoring 18 goals, before retiring with the advent of the First World War.

He was capped on four occasions by the Wales national football team. His first cap came in March 1908 against Scotland when he became Crystal Palace’s first current international player, with his final cap coming in March 1914 against England.