Bill Edmunds

Bill Edmunds
Personal information
Full name William Edmunds
Date of birth (1898-01-23)23 January 1898
Place of birth Trimdon Grange, England
Date of death 6 November 1964(1964-11-06) (aged 66)
Place of death Trimdon Village, England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Shildon
Spennymoor United
1921–1922 Darlington 8 (6)
Trimdon Grange
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Edmunds (23 January 1898 – 6 November 1964) was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Darlington. He also played non-league football in the north-east of England for clubs including Shildon, Spennymoor United and Trimdon Grange.

Life and career

Edmunds was born in Trimdon Grange, County Durham, the third child of James Edmunds, a coal miner, and his wife Sarah. He played North-Eastern League football for clubs including Shildon and Spennymoor United before, at the age of 23, signing for Darlington ahead of their first season in the Football League. A "towering centre forward", Edmunds went straight into the first eleven for the opening match, at home to Halifax Town in the newly formed Third Division North. He scored a late consolation goal in a 5–1 loss in the reverse fixture, but was left out in favour of George Stevens for the next match, a 7–0 defeat of Chesterfield, and dropped into the reserves.

A scoring spree in the North-Eastern League after Christmas earned him a recall to the first team. He duly scored three times as Darlington beat Tranmere Rovers 4–1 at home, and played in the next five matches, scoring twice (against Stalybridge Celtic and Wigan Borough) before returning to the reserves. At the end of the season, he played on the losing side in the Durham Senior Cup final against Sunderland reserves.

At the time of the 1939 Register, Edmunds was working as a mental nurse at Winterton Hospital, Sedgefield. He died in Trimdon Village in 1964 at the age of 66.

References

  1. 1 2 Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. 1 2 "1939 England and Wales Register for William Edmunds". 1939 Register. 3 Sunnyside Terrace Sedgefield Durham – via Ancestry Library Edition.
  3. 1 2 "Find a will: Edmunds 1965". UK Probate Service. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  4. ↑ "Third Division. Northern Section. Darlington". Athletic News. Manchester. 15 August 1921. p. 6.
  5. ↑ "1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription 3 Cross Plantation Trimdon Grange, Trimdon, Durham, England". William Edmunds. Age: 13. Birthplace: Trimdon Grange Durham. Census reference: RG14PN29679 RG78PN1719 RD546 SD1 ED12 SN88. Retrieved 16 November 2014 – via Findmypast.
  6. ↑ "North-Eastern League". Yorkshire Post. 5 April 1920. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "North-Eastern League". Yorkshire Post. 14 February 1921. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. 1 2 "Football". Yorkshire Post. 27 August 1921. p. 16 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Hartlepools United v. Darlington". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 1 September 1921. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Halifax Town v. Darlington: 10,000 spectators present". Yorkshire Post. 5 September 1921. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ "Darlington v. Chesterfield: visitors swamped". Yorkshire Post. 12 September 1921. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ↑ "North-Eastern League". Yorkshire Post. 27 December 1921. p. 3. In the second half Edmunds scored for Darlington, the same player heading in a second goal.
    "North-Eastern League". Yorkshire Post. 9 January 1922. p. 4. Edmunds equalised from a penalty.
    "North-Eastern League". Yorkshire Post. 16 January 1922. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive. Edmunds put the Quakers ahead again.
  13. ↑ "Association". Yorkshire Post. 4 February 1922. p. 16 – via British Newspaper Archive. Darlington are giving another trial to Edmunds in the centre forward position.
  14. ↑ "Darlington outplay Tranmere Rovers". Yorkshire Post. 6 February 1922. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ↑ "No title". Yorkshire Post. 11 February 1922. p. 18.
    "Darlington v. Stalybridge Celtic: league leaders again win". Yorkshire Post. 20 February 1922. p. 3.
    "Third League (North)". Western Morning News. Plymouth. 6 March 1922. p. 2.
    "Third League. Darlington v. Hartlepools United. Changes in Darlington forward line". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 24 March 1922. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ↑ "Durham Senior Cup. Final tie". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 13 May 1922. p. 6.