Billy Briscoe

Billy Briscoe
	Briscoe whilst in his first spell at Port Vale
Personal information
Full name	William Briscoe
Date of birth	6 November 1896
Place of birth	Fenton, England
Date of death	7 February 1994 (aged 97)
Place of death	Broadstairs, England
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
	Watford
Senior career*
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

William Briscoe (6 November 1896 – 7 February 1994) was an English footballer who played as a forward.

A former Watford, Stoke, Milton Brotherhood, and Leek United player; he first turned professional with Port Vale in 1918. After five years he moved on to Congleton Town for a season, only to return to Vale in 1924. He then spent the next seven years with the club, racking up a combined total of 307 league appearances for the club over his two spells, scoring 51 goals. He returned to Congleton in 1931 before later retiring from the game.

He also played cricket for Staffordshire in the Minor Counties Championship from 1921 to 1925.[1]

Playing career

Briscoe appeared for Watford, Stoke (three appearances), Milton Brotherhood and Leek United before signing professional forms with Port Vale in January 1918.[2] The club were re-elected into the Football League in October 1919, and Briscoe scored his first Second Division goal on 15 November, in a 2–1 defeat at Clapton Orient.[2] In total he scored 10 goals in 25 appearances in 1919–20.[2] He scored past rivals Stoke on 25 September 1920, in a 2–1 win at The Old Recreation Ground.[2] He also got on the scoresheet at Molineux and the City Ground to take his league tally to three goals in 35 games in 1920–21.[2] He featured 34 times in 1921–22, scoring just the one goal.[2] He was a member of the sides that shared the North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup in 1920 and 1922.[2] He hit three goals in 40 appearances in 1922–23.[2]

Briscoe failed to agree terms with the Port Vale board in the summer of 1923, and switched to nearby non-league side Congleton Town.[2] In January 1924, Vale offered better terms and he re-signed.[2] Despite only playing 21 games, he finished the 1923–24 season as joint-top scorer, tied with Tom Page on 10 goals.[2] He scored 12 goals in 44 games in 1924–25, missing just the one match all season, though the prolific Wilf Kirkham now took on the mantel as the club's main source of goals.[2] He hit four of his 12 goals in an 8–2 mauling of non-league Alfreton in an FA Cup qualifier on 13 December.[2] Briscoe scored four goals in 26 games in 1925–26, and even played a match whilst suffering from appendicitis.[2]

Briscoe hit seven goals in 32 appearances in 1926–27, and helped the club to finish above Stoke City in the league for the first time.[2] He hit five goals in 22 games in 1927–28, missing much of the season with a broken cheekbone.[2] He scored twice in 25 games in 1928–29, but could not help the club to avoid relegation.[2] He played eight league games in 1929–30, as Vale stormed to the Third Division North title.[2] However, he did not feature in the 1930–31 season, and was given a free transfer back to Congleton Town in May 1931, who he also coached.[2] In 13 years at the club he had played 331 games (193 in the Football League) and scored 60 goals (43 in the Football League).[2]

Briscoe in action.

Statistics

Source:[3]

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Port Vale	1919–20	Central League	7	8	0	0	7	8
	1919–20	Second Division	12	2	0	0	12	2
	1920–21	Second Division	35	3	1	0	36	3
	1921–22	Second Division	33	1	0	0	33	1
	1922–23	Second Division	38	3	1	0	39	3
	1923–24	Second Division	20	10	1	0	21	10
	1924–25	Second Division	41	6	3	6	44	12
	1925–26	Second Division	26	4	0	0	26	4
	1926–27	Second Division	30	7	1	0	31	7
	1927–28	Second Division	20	5	2	0	22	5
	1928–29	Third Division North	8	0	1	0	9	0
	Total		304	51	10	6	314	57

Honours

Port Vale

North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup winner: 1920 & 1922
Football League Third Division North champion: 1929–30[4]

References

"Player profile: William Briscoe". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 42. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
Billy Briscoe at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
Kent, Jeff (1990). "From Glory to Despair (1929–1939)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 124–150. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.

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[1] "Player profile: William Briscoe". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 November 2011.

[kent-2] Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 42. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.

[3] Billy Briscoe at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

[Kent-4] Kent, Jeff (1990). "From Glory to Despair (1929–1939)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 124–150. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.