Billy Linward

William Henry Linward (1877–1940) was an English footballer who played as an outside left for Doncaster Rovers, West Ham United, Woolwich Arsenal, Norwich City, Kilmarnock and Maidstone United at the turn of the 19th century.

Billy Linward
Personal information
Full name William Henry Linward
Date of birth 1877
Place of birth Hull, England
Date of death 1940 (aged 62)
Place of death West Ham, England
Position(s) Outside left
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
?−1895 Grimsby All Saints
1895–1901 Doncaster Rovers (53)
1901–1902 West Ham United 30 (3)
1902–1905 Woolwich Arsenal 47 (10)
1905–1906 Norwich City 3 (0)
1906–1907 Kilmarnock
1907–1908 Maidstone United
1908– Dartford
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Born in Hull, Linward is first known as playing for Grimsby All Saints, from where he moved to Doncaster Rovers in the Midland League for the start of the 1895–86 season.

Doncaster Rovers

He scored his first goal on his home debut in a 3–0 victory over Mansfield Town in front of a 1000 crowd.[1] His time at Doncaster involved two Midland League championships and one runner up, plus being runner up in the Yorkshire League.[1] In all competitive games in his 6 seasons at Doncaster he scored 65 goals including two hattricks. On 5 November 1898, he scored twice against Huddersfield in the Yorkshire League in the still standing joint record 14−0 Doncaster win.[1][2]

West Ham United

Just as Doncaster were elected into the Football League for the 1901–02 season, Linward moved to Southern League club West Ham United receiving a wage of £2.10s a week.[1] He played in all 30 League games for West Ham that season plus one FA Cup game before being bought by Second Division club, Woolwich Arsenal in the December of the 1902–03 season.[3][4][5]

Woolwich Arsenal

His debut for the second 11 was against Millwall Athletic on Boxing Day and then his full first team debut was following day against Burnley.[5] His first goal was the third in a 3–1 win over Preston North End on 3 January 1903.[6] During his second season, Linward played an important part in Arsenal's promotion to the First Division for the first time in their history. This included scoring 5 times in 27 League games.[4] After playing only 6 League games the following season in the top division,[4] Linward moved in the summer to Norwich City.

Norwich City

He joined the Citizens (as the team were then nicknamed) when they first became a Southern League club, making his debut on 2 September 1905 in a 2–0 defeat at Plymouth Argyle, thus having the honour of appearing in their first ever match as a professional side.[7] He played again against Watford and Brighton before the month was out but this would be the sum of his Norwich City contribution and after failing to secure a first team place, he left at the end of the season.[7]

He spent the next season at Kilmarnock, the following one in non league football in Kent, with Maidstone United and later Dartford.[7][3]

Linward died in West Ham in 1940 aged 62 years.

Honours

Doncaster Rovers

Arsenal

References
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