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]

Bill Garner
Personal information
Full name William David Garner[1]
Date of birth (1947-12-14) 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

  1. "Bill Garner". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  2. "Bill Garner". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  3. 1972 Southend United F.C. Handbook. "Bill Garner". Southend United FC Database. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  4. Baxter, Kelvin. "Bill Garner Chelsea FC". Football Heroes. Sporting Heroes Collections. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
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