Bryant Bill Image 1 Manchester United 1937

Description

Shildon, County Durham born outside right Bill Bryant began his football career with Northern League club Cockfield, from where he was signed by First Division Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1932, making his Football League debut against Blackburn Rovers that December. He made just five first team appearances in under two seasons at Molineux before being transferred to Wrexham in October 1933, and he scored a hat-trick early in the 1934 new year in a 11-1 thumping of New Brighton in a Third Division Cup tie, returning 15 goals in the season. as Tommy Bamford plundered 52 goals for The Red Dragons.

Both Bamford and Bryant were then signed by Second Division Manchester United in October 1934 and Bryant scored on his United debut in a Second Division match in a 2-1 win at Blackpool on 3rd November 1934. Bryant helped United to win the Second Division Championship in 1935-36 and although they were immediately relegated in 1936-37, he missed only 3 matches, scoring 12 goals in the campaign, as they regained their top flight status at the first time of asking in 1937-38, finishing as Second Division runners up. After a season of consolidation in the First Division in 1938-39, Bryant then played all three matches at the start of the 1939-40 season, scoring in each of the first two matches, before the outbreak of the Second World War in September forced the season’s abandonment, by when Bryant had scored 44 goals in 160 appearances for The Red Devils.

After the Second World War he spent 1945-46 on the books at Bradford City, but he left to join Cheshire League club Altrincham before League football resumed in 1946, and subsequently had a spell at Stalybridge Celtic in 1947 before his eventual retirement.