Players - Billy Watkinson

Billy Watkinson
Birthdate: 16 March 1922
Birthplace: Prescot, Lancashire, England
Date of death: 2001
Other clubs: Prescot Cables (1939-46), Accrington Stanley (1951-54), Halifax Town (1954-56), Prescot Cables (2 / 1956-58)
Signed from: Prescot Cables
Signed for LFC: 15.02.1946
Liverpool debut: 26.04.1947
Last appearance: 22.04.1950
Debut goal: 26.04.1947
Last goal: 28.08.1948
Contract expiry: 19.01.1951
Win ratio: 37.5% W:9 D:7 L:8
Wartime games/goals: 1 / 0
League games / goals: 24 / 2
Total games / goals: 24 / 2

Player Profile

Outside-right Watkinson was described by Liverpool's handbook in 1949 as "a strong type of player, possessing a good shot." Liverpool won the first post-war championship in 1946/47 and Watkinson played in the last six matches of that memorable and seemingly endless season, scoring on his debut at Aston Villa on 26 April 1947 and also being in the side for the 'title decider' at Wolverhampton on the last day of May, although the players had an agonising wait of several days into June before other results meant that they could not be caught. Watkinson played in the first seven League games the following season before losing his place to Bob Priday. It was always going to be hard to keep a spot in a forward-line with the experience and goal-scoring abilities of men like Liddell, Stubbins and Balmer. Watkinson was transferred to Accrington Stanley in January 1951 for a club record fee of approximately £3,000. He scored an impressive 45 times in 105 League matches for Stanley in Third Division North, and had a two-year spell between 1954-1956 in the same division with Halifax where he scored 24 goals in 60 appearances.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 24 0 0 0 0 24
1946-1947 6 0 0 0 0 6
1947-1948 11 0 0 0 0 11
1948-1949 6 0 0 0 0 6
1949-1950 1 0 0 0 0 1
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
3 270 Sheffield United
3 270 Portsmouth
3 270 Manchester United
2 180 Aston Villa
2 180 Wolves
2 180 Bolton Wanderers
2 180 Arsenal
1 90 Brentford
1 90 Burnley
1 90 Charlton Athletic
1 90 Preston North End
1 90 Sunderland
1 90 Middlesbrough
1 90 Stoke City
Total Venue
16 Away
8 Home
Total Competition
24 League
Total W D L Win % Manager
24 9 7 8 37.5% George Kay
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 2 0 0 0 0 2
1946-1947 1 0 0 0 0 1
1947-1948 0 0 0 0 0 0
1948-1949 1 0 0 0 0 1
1949-1950 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Opponent
1 Sunderland
1 Aston Villa
Total Competition
2 League
Total Goal minute period
1 1-15 minutes
1 61-75 minutes
Total Goal origin
2 Open play
Wartime Appearances / Goals
Season Appearances Goals
1945-1946 1 0
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 26.04.1947 Aston Villa Villa Park League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 9 26.04.1947 Aston Villa Villa Park League
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Prescot Cables 1946 Lancashire Combination N/A N/A N/A N/A
Accrington Stanley 1950-1951 England Third Division North 10 5 10 5
Accrington Stanley 1951-1952 England Third Division North 42 22 43 23
Accrington Stanley 1952-1953 England Third Division North 40 11 42 13
Accrington Stanley 1953-1954 England Third Division North 10 3 11 3
Accrington Stanley 1954-1955 England Third Division North 3 4 3 4
Halifax Town 1954-1955 England Third Division North 36 15 37 16
Halifax Town 1955-1956 England Third Division North 24 9 27 9
Prescot Cables 1956-1958 Lancashire Combination N/A N/A N/A N/A
Total 165 69 173 73