Walker Billy Image 1 Merthyr Town 1920

Description

New Cumnock, Ayrshire born inside right Billy Walker started his football career with hometown junior club New Cumnock in 1909 and he played for Lugar Boswell in 1910. His performances attracted the attention of recent English FA Cup winners Bradford City and Walker joined the Valley Parade club in 1911, making his Football League debut in the First Division against Manchester City that October in what would be his only appearance that season. The following campaign he featured on four further occasions for The Bantams’ first eleven and also had a loan spell back in New Cumnock with Lanemark F.C., before joining Second Division club Birmingham in the summer of 1913.

He played both sides of the First World War for Birmingham, although never a regular selection he was a regular scorer bagging goals on each of his first two appearances in November 1913 and scoring 10 goals in 30 appearances for The Blues before his November 1919 move to Coventry City. Another 8 goals in 22 appearances followed for Coventry before a move to mid Wales to join new Third Division (South) club Merthyr Town in the close season of 1920, where he played in their inaugural Football League fixture, scoring their first ever League goal, in a 2-1 victory over eventual divisional champions Crystal Palace. Indeed he finished the season with 18 goals from 41 appearances, and was comfortably the club’s top scorer.

Although he was less prolific during the rest of his time at Merthyr, by the time he moved to Bristol City in October 1922 he had scored 27 times in 86 games. At Ashton Gate his first season saw him contribute 8 goals in 34 appearances during Bristol City’s triumphant 1922-23 Third Division (South) Championship winning season. However the following season after only 5 more appearances he joined Sheffield Wednesday in October 1923. His career for The Wednesday lasted only to the season end and featured 5 goals in 19 appearances, before, already aged over 30, he joined non league Weymouth in 1924. He played the rest of the 1920’s in Midlands non league football with Leamington Town , Redditch Town and Halesowen Town before retiring around 1930.