Williams Jackie Image 1 Huddersfield Town 1935

Description

Aberdare, Rhondda Valley born outside right Jackie Williams began his football career with Aberaman Athletic in 1930 and played for Llanelly in 1931, from where he signed for First Division club Huddersfield Town in 1932, making his Football League debut in a win over Sheffield United at Leeds Road on 1st February 1933, holding his place in the first team until the end of the season as The Terriers finished sixth in the First Division. The following season he was less involved having lost his place in August but played a dozen matches as Huddersfield finished runners up in the League Championship to Arsenal.

Never certain of a regular place at Huddersfield, he played his last two matches for Town in October 1935 before being transferred to Aston Villa the following month after 15 goals in 52 appearances, and he made an immediate impact for Villa scoring twice on his debut in a 4-0 home win over Stoke City. He played in most of Villa’s matches during the rest of the season scoring 5 goals in 17 appearances, but he couldn’t prevent their relegation at the season end, and never played again for Aston Villa’s first team over the following two seasons, when he was confined to the reserves.

Williams resurrected his career in the 1938 close season with a move to new Football League entrants Ipswich Town, and he played in Ipswich’s inaugural League fixture, a Third Division (South) win over Southend United at Portman Road that August. However having lost his place in October after 9 matches for Ipswich, he returned to Wales to sign for Wrexham in November 1938, and such was his form with The Dragons that he was selected to play for Wales, appearing in a 2-1 defeat to France at the Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris in May 1939, in what proved Wales’ final international match before the outbreak of the Second World War. Williams had played twice for Wrexham before the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 forced the abandonment of the 1939-40 season, by when he had scored 4 goals in 29 appearances for The Dragons. The War effectively ended his career, although after the War he played for Colwyn Bay in 1945 and Runcorn in 1946 before his eventual retirement.