Elliott Billy Image 2 West Bromwich Albion 1947

Description

Harrington, Cumberland born outside right Billy Elliott began his senior football career at Carlisle United but never played for their first eleven before joining Dudley Town in 1936. He was spotted by Wolverhampton Wanderers who signed him in July 1937, however he didn’t make a first team appearance for Wolves as they finished runners up in the League Championship. He was allowed to leave Molineux and signed for Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in May 1938, making his Football League debut at Queen’s Park Rangers in September 1938, and he had scored 3 goals in 12 appearances for The Cherries when he was signed by Second Division West Bromwich Albion that December, scoring 3 goals in 17 appearances for The Baggies before the outbreak of the Second World War forced the abandonment of peacetime football in September 1939 soon after Elliott had turned 20 years old.

During the War, becoming known for his remarkable close control, and the quality of his crossing, also possessing a fierce shot, such was the increase in his maturity that he was selected for two unofficial England wartime internationals, playing in a 2-0 win against Wales at Ninian Park, Cardiff in May 1944 and a 1-0 defeat against Scotland at Hampden Park in April 1946, but he never played in a full international with the likes of Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney ahead of him in the queue.

After the War Elliott, by now aged 26, was a near ever present for the first three post war seasons and developed a notable partnership with Davy Walsh, helping Albion to gain promotion to the top flight when they finished as Second Division runners up in 1948-49, and he then spent two further seasons in the First Division before joining non league Bilston in 1931 after 40 goals in 182 appearances for West Bromwich Albion either side of the War.