Henderson Bill Image 2 Manchester United 1924

Description

Edinburgh born centre forward Bill Henderson began his football career with hometown club St Bernard’s after the First World War, joining them in 1919 before moving to Airdrieonians in 1920. He was signed by Manchester United for £2,000 in 1921, making his Football League debut against Aston Villa that November, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford. But having lost his place by February 1922 he was a fringe player for two further seasons with United. He then broke back into their first team from the start of the 1924-25 season, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win at Oldham Athletic that September, and having scored 14 goals in a campaign that would see United win promotion back to the First Division at the end of the season, he was sold to Preston North End in February 1925.

The Lambs were struggling to maintain their First Division status and Henderson’s introduction, he scored once in 9 appearances before the season’s end, didn’t help them avoid relegation. Henderson moved on to Clapton Orient in the 1925 close season, scoring 8 goals in 33 appearances during a single season at Millfields Road, before returning to Scotland to join Heart of Midlothian in the summer of 1926, scoring 9 goals in 13 appearances for The Jambos during 1926-27, but he again moved on the following summer, joining Greenock Morton.

A single season at Morton saw him return to England, joining Torquay United for their second season of League football, and he scored on his debut for The Gulls in a defeat at Queen’s Park Rangers, scoring 10 goals in 15 appearances through to November. Whether through injury (probably) or another reason he lost his place in their eleven, and moved to Exeter City in June 1929, where he made 5 appearances in the early stages of their 1929-30 campaign, leaving them in 1930 and retiring from professional football.