Bill Garner (footballer)
William David Garner (born 14 December 1947) is an English former footballer born in Leicester, who played in the Football League for Notts County, Southend United, Chelsea, Cambridge United and Brentford.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William David Garner[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 14 December 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Leicester, England | ||
| Playing position(s) | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| – | Leicester Victoria | ||
| – | Loughborough United | ||
| 196x–1966 | Midland Athletic | ||
| 1966–1967 | Notts County | 2 | (0) |
| – | Loughborough United | ||
| 196x–1969 | Dunstable Town | ||
| 1969 | Bedford Town | ||
| 1969–1972 | Southend United | 102 | (41) |
| 1972–1978 | Chelsea | 105 | (31) |
| 1978–1980 | Cambridge United | 24 | (3) |
| 1980–1983 | Chelmsford City | ||
| 1983–1984 | Brentford | 3 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
A bustling centre-forward, Garner started his career in local football in the Leicester area before signing professional forms with Notts County. After only two league appearances he returned to Loughborough United, then signed for Southern League club Dunstable Town, for whom he scored 25 goals, and then Bedford Town, who sold him to Southend United in November 1969, for a fee of £12,000. He scored 47 goals in 111 games for Southend, and was their top scorer and Player of the Season in 1971–72.[3] After impressing during a League Cup match against Chelsea in 1972, he signed for the west Londoners three days later for £100,000.[4]
Garner's time at Chelsea was hindered by the overall decline of the side, culminating in relegation to the Second Division in 1975, as well as his own injury problems and loss of form. He made a total of 119 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 36 goals. He signed for Cambridge United on a free transfer in 1978.[4] He left Cambridge in 1980 and ended his career with stints at Chelmsford City and Brentford.[2]
References
- "Bill Garner". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- "Bill Garner". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
- 1972 Southend United F.C. Handbook. "Bill Garner". Southend United FC Database. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
- Baxter, Kelvin. "Bill Garner Chelsea FC". Football Heroes. Sporting Heroes Collections. Retrieved 7 November 2009.