Davies Willie Image 5 Cardiff County 1929

Description

Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan born right winger Willie Davies began his career playing for local amateur sides, joining Rhymney in 1919 where he once scored 61 goals in a single season, and Swansea Amateurs in 1920. He was signed by Swansea Town in 1921, making his Football League debut against Plymouth Argyle in January 1922 and initially playing in every forward position for the club before settling at outside right. He made his Wales debut while playing for Swansea but, in the summer of 1924 with the club going through financial trouble, he moved to Cardiff City after 4 goals in 48 appearances. In his first season at the Ninian Park club he was part of the side that reached the FA Cup Final, including scoring a goal direct from a corner kick in the quarter-final victory over Leicester City.

Unfortunately he contracted a serious chest illness soon after and missed more than a year for the club, including missing the team’s FA Cup victory in 1927. He briefly returned to the side at the start of the 1927-28 season but was sold to Notts County in March 1928 after 19 goals in 96 appearances, where he spent two years before moving on to Tottenham Hotspur in February 1930 after 9 goals in 73 games. He played four seasons in the Second Division at Spurs but lost his place in their 1932-33 promotion season, and after 19 goals in 115 appearances he moved to non league Bargoed in 1933. He later returned to finish his League career at Swansea Town enjoying three more seasons at The Vetch Field and adding 20 more goals in 89 further appearances to his Swansea total.

During his career, Davies won a total of 17 caps for Wales, making a goalscoring debut in a 2-0 victory over Scotland at Ninian Park, Cardiff on 16th February 1924 in the 1924 British Home Championship. Davies played in the remaining two matches of the Championship, scoring his second international goal in a 2-1 victory over England, as Wales won the tournament for the third time. He later also helped Wales win the British Home Championship for a second time in four years in 1928. His last goal for Wales came on 27th October 1928, when he scored twice in a 4-2 defeat to Scotland at Ibrox Park, before winning his last cap when he played in a 7-0 defeat to Ireland in which Joe Bambrick scored a double hat-trick at Celtic Park, Belfast on 1st February 1930.