Williams William Image 1 Everton 1922

Description

Salford, Lancashire born inside left William Williams began his football career with Lancashire Combination club Darwen after the First World War, from where he was signed by First Division club Everton in the 1922 close season, making his Football League debut at Newcastle United that August. He scored his first goal in the return match a week later as Everton won 3-2 at Goodison Park, Williams scoring the winner. In a very successful debut season, he lost his place through injury in February 1923, returning for the last match of the season, by when he had scored 13 goals in 30 appearances.

But Williams then lost his place the following September and was rarely included by the time he signed for Second Division club Blackpool for £1.150 in March 1925, by when he had scored 14 goals in 41 appearances for The Toffees, and five days later Williams made his debut for The Seasiders against Stockport County at Bloomfield Road. He had only been on the field about 30 minutes when he broke his arm and missed the rest of the season. Having recovered Williams soon became a regular in The Seasiders’ attack until another misfortune befell him.

Playing at Darlington at the end of September he was struck in the face with a fast-driven ball, and though he continued his injury became so much worse that he had to be admitted to Victoria Hospital, Blackpool, with septic poisoning, which endangered his life for some days, and he only returned to the Blackpool team at the end of November.

He then scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Barnsley in February 1926, Yet tragically by early June, aged 33, Williams was dead, having contracted meningitis, having played his last match for Blackpool on 27th March in a 0-0 draw with Stoke City at Bloomfield Road, his short Blackpool career having yielded 9 goals in 23 appearances.