Willie Hughes (footballer)

William Hughes (7 July 1909 – 1 January 1996) was a Scottish footballer who played mainly as an outside left, although he was a versatile player who could operate in several positions.[2]

Willie Hughes
Personal information
Full name William Hughes
Date of birth 7 July 1909
Place of birth Winchburgh, Scotland
Date of death 1 January 1996(1996-01-01) (aged 86)
Place of death Bellshill, Scotland
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1]
Playing position(s)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– Bellstane Birds
1927–1929 Bathgate  69 (10)
1929–1936 Celtic  94 (12)
1929 → Ayr United (loan)  
1936–1948 Clyde  57 (3)
1938 → Bo'ness (loan)  
1938–1941 Arbroath   19 (4)
Total 244 (34)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

His longest spell was with Celtic where he made over 100 appearances in all competitions[3] and spent seven seasons but was a regular starter only in one (1933–34), otherwise being seen as a squad member who could fill in for several roles. He was not selected for the club's two Scottish Cup finals during the period in 1931 and 1933 despite playing in earlier rounds, and only made four appearances when they won the Scottish Football League in 1935–36, so it is unlikely that he received a winner's medal from a major competition.

He began his league career with Bathgate, departing when the club went defunct, and after leaving Celtic played for Clyde and Arbroath, in a more defensive role than in his early career. During World War II he featured for Hamilton Academical, later joining the club's coaching staff.[1]

Originally from West Lothian, Hughes settled in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire; his first marriage was to Bridie Kelly, daughter of James Kelly and sister of Bob Kelly, both of whom served as chairman of Celtic.[4]

References
  1. Hughes, Willie (1940), Hamilton Academical Memory Bank
  2. John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. (Celtic player) Hughes, William, FitbaStats
  4. Celtic Player Weds, newspaper scan, 1934, via The Celtic Wiki
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.