Wilf Billington
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'''Wilfred Francis Billington''' (28 January 1930 – 1 October 2023) was an English professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]] in England and Australia. He began his career with [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]], later playing for [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], [[Workington A.F.C.|Workington Reds]], and [[Oxford United F.C.|Headington United]].{{Cite news |date=19 December 2023 |title=Sports Personality of the Year 2023: Remembering the stars we have lost |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/67726877 |access-date=2023-12-22}}{{Hugman|1570|accessdate=28 October 2023}}{{ENFA}}{{Cite web |last=Anson |first=John |date=22 July 2010 |title=Ex-Blackburn Rovers keeper Wilf saves memories of Jack |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/8286769.ex-blackburn-rovers-keeper-wilf-saves-memories-jack/ |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=Lancashire Telegraph}} In Australia, Billington was best known as the goalkeeper for [[Safeway United|South Coast United]]'s championship-winning side led by former England international [[Jimmy Kelly (footballer, born 1931)|Jim Kelly]].{{Cite news |date=1966 |title=Sydney Club Patrol |work=Soccer World |url=https://archive.org/details/soccer-world-1966/Soccer%20World%2C%20Vol.%2009%2C%20No.%2032%2C%20Friday%20August%2026th%201966/page/6/mode/2up |access-date=2023-12-25 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}} |
'''Wilfred Francis Billington''' (28 January 1930 – 1 October 2023) was an English professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]] in England and Australia. He began his career with [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]], later playing for [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], [[Workington A.F.C.|Workington Reds]], and [[Oxford United F.C.|Headington United]].{{Cite news |date=19 December 2023 |title=Sports Personality of the Year 2023: Remembering the stars we have lost |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/67726877 |access-date=2023-12-22}}{{Hugman|1570|accessdate=28 October 2023}}{{ENFA}}{{Cite web |last=Anson |first=John |date=22 July 2010 |title=Ex-Blackburn Rovers keeper Wilf saves memories of Jack |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/8286769.ex-blackburn-rovers-keeper-wilf-saves-memories-jack/ |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=Lancashire Telegraph}} In Australia, Billington was best known as the goalkeeper for [[Safeway United|South Coast United]]'s championship-winning side led by former England international [[Jimmy Kelly (footballer, born 1931)|Jim Kelly]].{{Cite news |date=1966 |title=Sydney Club Patrol |work=Soccer World |url=https://archive.org/details/soccer-world-1966/Soccer%20World%2C%20Vol.%2009%2C%20No.%2032%2C%20Friday%20August%2026th%201966/page/6/mode/2up |access-date=2023-12-25 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}} |
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== Early life == |
== Early life == |
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==Professional career== |
==Professional career== |
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After a brief stint at [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]], Billington joined [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], his hometown club.{{Cite web |date=11 October 2023 |title=Workington Reds goalie Wilf Billington dies aged 93 |url=https://cumbriacrack.com/2023/10/11/workington-reds-goalie-wilf-billington-dies-aged-93/ |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=Cumbria Crack}} He was with Blackburn for six years, playing regularly for the reserve team in the [[Central League (England)|Central League]]. |
After a brief stint at [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]], Billington joined [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], his hometown club.{{Cite web |date=11 October 2023 |title=Workington Reds goalie Wilf Billington dies aged 93 |url=https://cumbriacrack.com/2023/10/11/workington-reds-goalie-wilf-billington-dies-aged-93/ |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=Cumbria Crack}} He was with Blackburn for six years, playing regularly for the reserve team in the [[Central League (England)|Central League]]. |
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In the summer of 1954, Billington was signed by [[Workington A.F.C.|Workington]] manager [[Bill Shankly]] as the cover goalkeeper for [[Malcolm Newlands]].{{Cite book |last=Bowler |first=Dave |title=Shanks: The Authorised Biography of Bill Shankly |publisher=Orion |year=1996 |isbn=0-75280-246-1 |location=London |pages=175}} After Newlands was injured, Billington played the opening match of the 1954–1955 season at Darlington, which the club won 2–1. He made a total of 19 appearances during his first season, and 24 during his second. |
In the summer of 1954, Billington was signed by [[Workington A.F.C.|Workington]] manager [[Bill Shankly]] as the cover goalkeeper for [[Malcolm Newlands]].{{Cite book |last=Bowler |first=Dave |title=Shanks: The Authorised Biography of Bill Shankly |publisher=Orion |year=1996 |isbn=0-75280-246-1 |location=London |pages=175}} After Newlands was injured, Billington played the opening match of the 1954–1955 season at Darlington, which the club won 2–1. He made a total of 19 appearances during his first season, and 24 during his second. |
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Eighteen months into his transfer to Workington, the ''[[Liverpool Echo]]'' noted that Billington was regarded as "extremely promising", commending his performance at [[Prenton Park]] during his first season.{{Cite news |date=15 October 1955 |title=Workington's Challenge at Prenton Park |work=[[Liverpool Echo]] |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000271/19551015/296/0019 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-25 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}} Similarly, the ''[[Derby Telegraph|Derby Evening Telegraph]]'' called Billington one of Shankly's best signings, noting that he had "developed into an extremely sound and reliable goalkeeper".{{Cite news |date=1 October 1955 |title=Today's visitors to the baseball ground |work=[[Derby Evening Telegraph]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-telegraph-todays-visitors-to-th/137387433/ |access-date=2023-12-25 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} |
Eighteen months into his transfer to Workington, the ''[[Liverpool Echo]]'' noted that Billington was regarded as "extremely promising", commending his performance at [[Prenton Park]] during his first season.{{Cite news |date=15 October 1955 |title=Workington's Challenge at Prenton Park |work=[[Liverpool Echo]] |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000271/19551015/296/0019 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-25 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}} Similarly, the ''[[Derby Telegraph|Derby Evening Telegraph]]'' called Billington one of Shankly's best signings, noting that he had "developed into an extremely sound and reliable goalkeeper".{{Cite news |date=1 October 1955 |title=Today's visitors to the baseball ground |work=[[Derby Evening Telegraph]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-telegraph-todays-visitors-to-th/137387433/ |access-date=2023-12-25 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} |
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Shankly himself had told the press following the hard-fought match against the [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.|Tranmere Rovers]] that he predicted Billington would be selected as [[England national football team|England goalkeeper]] within two years' time.{{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=Phil |title=Emlyn Hughes: A Tribute to Crazy Horse |date=2006 |publisher=History Press |isbn=9780750959810}} In December 1955, when Shankly was confirmed to be moving to [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]], the ''[[Lincolnshire Echo]]'' called Billington "one of the best [goalkeepers] in the Third North" and suggested that he was a natural choice to follow suit.{{Cite news |date=24 December 1955 |title=Workington players for Huddersf'ld |work=[[Lincolnshire Echo]] |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000332/19551224/004/0004 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-25 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}} |
Shankly himself had told the press following the hard-fought match against the [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.|Tranmere Rovers]] that he predicted Billington would be selected as [[England national football team|England goalkeeper]] within two years' time.{{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=Phil |title=Emlyn Hughes: A Tribute to Crazy Horse |date=2006 |publisher=History Press |isbn=9780750959810}} In December 1955, when Shankly was confirmed to be moving to [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]], the ''[[Lincolnshire Echo]]'' called Billington "one of the best [goalkeepers] in the Third North" and suggested that he was a natural choice to follow suit.{{Cite news |date=24 December 1955 |title=Workington players for Huddersf'ld |work=[[Lincolnshire Echo]] |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000332/19551224/004/0004 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-25 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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* [https://football-united-vs-socc.captivate.fm/episode/wilf-billington Podcast interview with Wilf Billington (26 July 2019)] |
* [https://football-united-vs-socc.captivate.fm/episode/wilf-billington Podcast interview with Wilf Billington (26 July 2019)] |
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[[Category:1930 births]] |
[[Category:1930 births]] |
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[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia]] |
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia]] |
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[[Category:Footballers from Blackburn]] |
[[Category:Footballers from Blackburn]] |
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[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]] |
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