Willie Wardrope

William Loudon Wardrope (9 September 1874 – 1911) was a Scottish footballer who played in the Football League for Middlesbrough and Newcastle United, mainly as an outside left.[3][2]

Willie Wardrope

Personal information
Full name	William Loudon Wardrope[1]
Date of birth	9 September 1874[1]
Place of birth	Wishaw, Scotland[1]
Date of death	1911 (aged 36–37)[1]
Place of death	United States[2]
Playing position(s)	Outside forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1892–1893	Dalziel Rovers
1893–1894	Motherwell
1894–1895	Linthouse
1895	→ Motherwell (loan)	1	(0)
1895–1900	Newcastle United	127	(44)
1900–1902	Middlesbrough	62	(21)
1902–1904	Third Lanark	42	(14)
1904–1906	Fulham	58	(29)
1906–1907	Swindon Town	38	(8)
1907–1908	Hamilton Academical	31	(6)
1908–1909	Raith Rovers	32	(11)
Total		391	(133)
National team
1903	Scottish League XI	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Wishaw-born winger Wardrope began his football career at Dalziel Rovers, being selected for Scotland at Junior level[4] before playing for Scottish League Motherwell as an amateur in 1893, and Linthouse in 1894.[5] In August 1895 he joined Football League Second Division side Newcastle United, making his Football League debut and scoring against Loughbrough in September of that year, in a 3–0 win at St James’ Park. He finished the season as both an ever-present and as Newcastle's top scorer, scoring 20 goals in 36 games including a hat-trick against Darwen in November.[5] Wardrope scored a further 14 goals in the 1897–98 campaign as Newcastle won promotion to the First Division for the first time in their history[6] as Second Division runners-up, qualifying by beating Stoke and Blackburn Rovers in two-legged 'test matches'. He spent two further seasons with the Toon in the top flight before joining Middlesbrough in April 1900 after 51 goals in 145 appearances for the Magpies.[5][6]

Wardrope had two full seasons at Boro, helping them win promotion to the First Division in 1901–02, scoring 10 goals as they finished Second Division runners-up.[5] But at the end of the season, having scored 24 goals in 73 appearances, he returned to Scotland and joined Third Lanark, winning the Scottish Football League championship in 1903–04[7][8] plus two Glasgow Cups;[9][10] while with the Warriors he was selected to represent the Scottish League team in a 1–0 defeat to the Irish League at Grosvenor Park, Belfast in February 1903.[5][11]

After two seasons at Cathkin Park he then joined Southern League club Fulham in 1904, scoring 32 goals in 68 appearances for the Cottagers and helping them to win the Southern League championship in 1905–06.[5][12] He transferred to Swindon Town in the 1906 close season and scored nine times for the Robins in 39 appearances,[13] before returning to Scotland again to join Hamilton Academical in 1907,[4] subsequently joining Raith Rovers in 1908 before his eventual retirement.[2][5] He emigrated to the United States in 1910, but within a year had died from cholera.[4]

Career statistics

Source:[1]

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Test Matches		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Newcastle United	1895–96	Second Division	30	14	6	6	0	0	36	20
	1896–97	Second Division	29	11	1	0	0	0	30	11
	1897–98	Second Division	26	13	5	1	4	1	35	15
	1898–99	First Division	24	2	2	0	0	0	26	2
	1899–1900	First Division	18	4	0	0	0	0	18	4
	Total		127	44	14	7	4	1	145	52
Middlesbrough	1899–1900	Second Division	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
	1900–01	Second Division	33	11	9	3	0	0	42	14
	1901–02	Second Division	27	10	2	0	0	0	29	10
	Total		62	21	11	3	0	0	73	24
Career Total			189	65	25	10	4	1	218	76

References

1. Willie Wardrope at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
2. John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. SoccerData. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
4. Wardrop, William (1907), Hamilton Academical Memory Bank
5. "Wardrope Willie Image 2 Fulham 1904". Vintage footballers. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
6. Willie Wardrope player profile, Toon1892.com
7. One Hit Wonders: Third Lanark (Scotland), 1903-04, Soccer Stories, 13 January 2014
8. Scotland 1903/04, RSSSF, 21 October 2001
9. Third Lanark v Celtic 3-0 (Glasgow Cup Final: October 25, 1902), Play Up Liverpool
10. Football. | Glasgow Cup–Final Tie., The Glasgow Herald, 30 November 1903
11. (SFL player) Willie Wardrope, London Hearts Supporters Club
12. History of Fulham Football Club | Southern League Winners May 1906, Fulham FC
13. Player Profile | Willie Wardrope, Swindon-Town-FC