Linward Billy Image 1 Norwich City 1905

Description

Hull, Yorkshire born outside left Billy Linward began his football career with Grimsby All Saints from where he joined Midland League club Doncaster Rovers in 1895. He scored his first goal on his home debut in a 3-0 victory over Mansfield Town in front of a 1,000 crowd. His time at Doncaster involved two Midland League championships and one runner up, also being runner up in the Yorkshire League. In all competitive games in his six seasons at Doncaster he scored 65 goals including two hat-tricks. On 5th November 1898, he scored twice against Huddersfield in the Yorkshire League in the still standing joint record 14-0 Doncaster win.

Just as Doncaster were elected into The Football League for the 1901-02 season, Linward moved to Southern League club West Ham United, receiving a wage of £2.10s a week. He played in all 30 League matches for West Ham that season plus one FA Cup tie, scoring 3 goals, before being bought by Second Division club, Woolwich Arsenal in the December 1902. He made his Football League debut against Burnley the same month and scored 10 goals in 50 matches for The Gunners over the next two and a half seasons before a move back to Southern League football with Norwich City in 1905, making his debut that September in a 2-0 defeat at Plymouth Argyle, but he struggled to get into their first eleven making just 3 appearances, the other two both in September before he lost his place.

Linward moved to Scotland to join Kilmarnock in 1906 and made his Scottish League debut against Airdrieonians that August, scoring twice in 20 matches for Killy during 1906-07 before returning to England for a season with Kent League club Maidstone United in 1905, which he followed with a season at Dartford in 1908-09 before his retirement.