Billy Spencer

Billy Spencer
Personal information
Full name William Spencer[1]
Date of birth 15 May 1902[2]
Place of birth Nelson, England[1]
Date of death 1969 (aged 66–67)
Height 5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (1.71 m)[3]
Position(s) Full-back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1924 Hebden Bridge
1925–1938 Stoke City 338 (0)
1938 Crewe Alexandra 3 (0)
Total 341 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Spencer (15 May 1902 – 1969) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Crewe Alexandra and Stoke City.[1][4]

Career

Spencer was born in Nelson and played amateur for West Riding League side Hebden Bridge whilst working in a mill. He joined Stoke City in December 1924, turning professional in April 1925. Spencer replaced the long-serving Alec Milne midway through the 1925–26 season slotting into a leaky defence and relegation to the Third Division was unavoidable.[4] Stoke won the Third Division North title in 1926–27 with Spencer forming a formidable partnership with Bob McGrory. Spencer's positional play complemented McGrory's tough-tackling, however despite their on-field empathy it was rumoured that the pair did not get along off it with Spencer easily riled by McGrory's stubbornness.[4] Despite any-off the pitch frictions the partnership lasted for ten seasons although they both missed most of the 1931–32 season due to injury, Spencer suffering a broken leg on the opening day of the season against Chesterfield.[4]

After recovering from his injury he helped Stoke to gain promotion to the First Division in 1932–33. When McGrory became manager in 1935–36 he moved Spencer out to right-back to accommodate the emerging Charlie Scrimshaw and Spencer's form suffered as a result.[4] After losing his place midway through the 1935–36 season to Bill Winstanley, Spencer became a player-coach with the reserves where he spent the next two seasons.[4] He then moved to Crewe Alexandra for £750 in June 1938 when he played just three matches before deciding to retire. In total he played 354 games for Stoke City, without managing to score goal.[4]

Outside of football Spencer was a keen bowls player and was a star player in the North Staffordshire Bowls League. During World War II he was stationed in Carlisle and played in the same army team as Stoke teammate Harry Davies. After the war he ran the Compasses public house in Stoke-on-Trent before returning home to coach Nelson before quitting due to the onset of deafness.[4]

Career statistics

Source:[5]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Stoke City 1925–26 Second Division 16 0 0 0 16 0
1926–27 Third Division North 36 0 2 0 38 0
1927–28 Second Division 42 0 4 0 46 0
1928–29 Second Division 40 0 1 0 41 0
1929–30 Second Division 40 0 1 0 41 0
1930–31 Second Division 39 0 3 0 42 0
1931–32 Second Division 1 0 0 0 1 0
1932–33 Second Division 37 0 2 0 39 0
1933–34 First Division 31 0 2 0 33 0
1934–35 First Division 41 0 1 0 42 0
1935–36 First Division 15 0 0 0 15 0
Total 338 0 16 0 354 0
Crewe Alexandra 1938–39 Third Division North 3 0 0 0 3 0
Career total 341 0 16 0 357 0

Honours

with Stoke City

References

  1. ^ a b c Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Stoke City. Record-breaking staff re-engaged for this season". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. vi – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Stoke City 101 Golden Greats. Desert Islands Books. 2002. ISBN 1-874287554.
  5. ^ Billy Spencer at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)