Billy Fitchford

William Henry Fitchford (14 May 1896 – 13 April 1966) was an English footballer and cricketer. An inside-left, he scored 14 goals in 98 league and cup games in nine years at Port Vale from 1914 to 1923, and later spent time with Glossop, Congleton Town, Stoke and Northern Nomads. He played Minor Counties Championship cricket for Staffordshire from 1922 to 1928.[2]

Billy Fitchford

Fitchford in a Port Vale squad photo in 1920
Personal information
Full name	William Henry Fitchford[1]
Date of birth	14 May 1896
Place of birth	Wolstanton, Staffordshire, England[1]
Date of death	13 April 1966(1966-04-13) (aged 69)[1]
Place of death	Melbourne, Australia[1]
Playing position(s)	Inside-left
Youth career
	Porthill St. Andrew's
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1914–1923	Port Vale	89	(13)
	Glossop
	Congleton Town
1923	Stoke	0	(0)
	Northern Nomads
Total		89+	(13+)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Fitchford was an amateur with a good footballing brain playing for Porthill St. Andrew's when he was signed to Port Vale in March 1914.[1] After serving as a Lieutenant in the First World War he finally made his debut for the club on 23 November 1918, being the only scorer for Vale in a 4–1 defeat to Burnley at Turf Moor.[1] He struggled to be given permission to miss work from his banking job to play in matches so was not played as often as he could have been.[1] He played 19 Second Division games in the 1919–20 season, claiming goals against Nottingham Forest and Birmingham at The Old Recreation Ground.[1] He also managed to score the only goal of the Staffordshire Senior Cup final against Birmingham on 15 May 1920.[1] He featured in 25 matches in the 1920–21 campaign, scoring goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bury, and Barnsley.[1] He scored three goals in six league games in the 1921–22 season, getting on the scoresheet against Hull City, Leicester City, and Blackpool.[1] He also was a part of the side that shared the North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup in 1922.[1] He made 19 league appearances and played one FA Cup game in the 1922–23 season, without scoring a goal.[1] He was released at the end of the season, and went on to play for Glossop, Congleton Town, Stoke and Northern Nomads.[1]

Statistics

Source:[3]

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Port Vale	1919–20	Central League	7	1	0	0	0	0	7	1
	1919–20	Second Division	19	2	2	0	0	0	21	2
	1920–21	Second Division	25	3	0	0	0	0	25	3
	1921–22	Second Division	6	3	0	0	0	0	6	3
	1922–23	Second Division	20	0	1	0	0	0	21	0
	Total		77	9	3	0	0	0	80	9
Stoke	1923–24	Second Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Honours

Port Vale

• Staffordshire Senior Cup winner: 1920
• North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup winner: 1922

References

1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 102. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
2. "Player profile: William Fitchford". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
3. Billy Fitchford at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)