Billy
Townley |
Blackburn Rovers FC
2 appearances,
0 to 3 goals
P 2 W 2 D
0 L 0 F 13: A 2
100% successful
1888-91
captain: none
minutes played: 180 |
|
Timeline |
|
William Townley |
Birth |
Wednesday, 14 February 1866 at 64 Lark Hill Terrace,
Blackburn, Lancashire |
|
registered in Blackburn January-March 1866 |
|
According to the 1871
census, William is the second of three children to Daniel and Elizabeth
(née Holden).
Living at 64 Lark Hill [Terrace] in Blackburn. His father is a mechanic. |
|
According to the 1881
census, Wm. now has four more younger siblings and as a consequence, the
family still live at Lark Hill Terrace.
His father is an iron turner. |
|
According to the 1891
census, William is the eldest of the seven children at home, there has
been another since the last census. Along with their parents they still
live at 64 Lark Hill Terrace. William is a mechanic, whilst his father
is a mechanic in the iron trade. |
Marriage |
to Fanny
Chadwick, on Thursday, 16 August 1894 at St Peter's Church, in Blackburn |
|
registered in Blackburn July-September 1894 |
Children |
Billy and Fanny
Townley had five children together.
Mary Elizabeth (b.28 September 1896), Elsie
(b.28 August 1897), James Chadwick (b.30 April
1902), Constance (b.31 July 1904) and Ena (b.25 February 1915) |
|
According to the 1901
census, William, now a school teacher, is married to Fanny, a dressmaker,
they now live at 62 Lark Hill [Terrace]. They have two children, Mary and
Elsie. They live next door to his family, who are at number 64.
(His mother died on 24 December 1901. His daughter,
Constance Townley born
in 1904 died later in the year) |
|
Not on the 1911
or the 1921
census' as he should be in Europe. (His father died early in 1914). |
|
"William Townley, of
Beresford-road, Blackburn, the old Blackburn Rover and International, and
who has a wide reputation in football circles both in England, on the
Continent and in America, is about to take up his old duties in Germany as
football coach and manager to the important club at Munich."
- The Globe, 20 September 1919 |
|
According to the 1939 register, William and Fanny are
still married and they live at 4 St. George's Road in Blackpool with two
daughters, Mary and Ena. William is a retired schoolmaster, steel examiner
and German interpretor. (Fanny Townley died in mid-1943) |
Death |
Tuesday, 30 May 1950,
in Blackpool, Lancashire |
aged
84 years 105 days |
registered in Fylde April-June 1950 |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & |
Playing Career |
Club(s) |
Played junior football in
Blackburn and was soon playing for Blackburn Swifts FC, then Blackburn
Olympic FC and then Blackburn Rovers FC. He made one appearance for Colne
FC in January 1887. Everton FC made an attempt to sign him for the
inaugural Football League season. He was loaned to Stockton FC
from July 1892, for the season. Sheffield United FC attempted the same
arrangement for the following season. However, he returned to play with
Blackburn Rovers FC, then signed Darwen FC on 3 July 1894.
Manchester City FC signed him during the summer of 1896 until his retirement a
year later. |
League History 141 appearances, 52 goals |
Blackburn Rovers FC 1888-94
96 appearances, 37 goals. debut:
15 September 1888 Blackburn Rovers FC 5 Accrington FC 5.
Darwen FC 1894-96 42 appearances, 15 goals debut: 1
September 1894 Darwen FC 5
Newcastle United FC 0.
Manchester City FC 1896-97 three appearances debut (second
division): 5
September 1896 Manchester City FC 1 Woolwich Arsenal FC 1. last (second
division): 3 October 1896 Manchester City FC 0 Newton Heath FC 0. |
Club honours |
FA Cup
winners 1889-90 (5ᵃ 6ᵍ
inc. hat-trick in Final), 1890-91 (6ᵃ 2ᵍ);
Football League third place 1889-90 (20ᵃ 6ᵍ). |
Individual honours |
None |
Distinctions |
His
son is Jimmy Townley (Tottenham Hotspur FC,
Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Clapton Orient FC, 1927-31). |
Height/Weight |
5'
10", 10st.
6lbs or 12lbs [1891]. |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
England Career |
Player number |
One
of five who became the 152nd
player (156) to appear for England. |
Position(s) |
Outside-left |
First match |
No. 35, 23 February 1889,
England 4 Wales 1, a British Championship match at
Victoria Ground, Boothen, Stoke-upon-Trent, aged
23 years
9 days. |
Last match |
No. 38, 15 March 1890, Ireland 1 England 9, a
British Championship match at Ulster Cricket Ground, Ballynafeigh Ground,
Belfast, aged 24 years 29 days.
maybe |
Major tournaments |
British
Championship 1888-89, 1889-90; |
Team honours |
British
Championship shared 1889-90; |
Individual honours |
The North
(two appearances, 1890-91) The Whites (withdrew
in March 1890) |
Beyond England |
Worked as a school teacher from 1890
until he began coaching throughout Europe from 1909 to 1934, primarily in
Germany, before and after WWI, particularly in Munich, but also in Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland during the
twenties. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.249. |