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Players Index Page Last Updated
30 December 2022
 
 

Willis Edwards

Leeds United AFC
 
16 appearances, 0 goals

P 16 W 10 D 2 L 4 F 52: A 25
69% successful

1926-31

captain: five
minutes played:
1440

Timeline

  Willis Edwards
Birth 28 April 1903 in Blackwell, near Newton, Derbyshire [registered in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, June 1903]
Baptism In 1903, exact date unknown, but in Blackwell in Derbyshire.
 

According to the 1911 census, Willis is the eldest of two children, with sister Phyllis, to John and Sarah, living in Bamford Street in Newton, near Alfreton. His father is a coal mine hewer.

 

According to the 1921 census, Willis is still the eldest of two children, with his sister, still living at Bamford Street with their widowed mother. Willis is a pony driver at the local Babbington colliery.

  According to the 1939 register, Willis, a professional footballer, is married to Edna L. and living at 17 Baron Close in the Beeston Hill area of Leeds.
Marriage to Edna Lillian Holloway, at 9.00am, on 4 July 1931 at St. Mary's Church, Beeston [registered in Leeds South, Yorkshire, September 1931]. He was married at the same time as his sister, Phyllis, she married Reginald Straw, member of the Leeds police force. Both ceremonies were conducted by the Rev. Hubert Spencer.
The back of St. Mary's Church overlooks the Elland Road ground.
Willis and Edna spent their honeymoon in Cayton Bay, Scarborough.
Death 27 September 1988 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, aged 85 years 152 days [registered in Leeds, Yorkshire, October 1988].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &

Playing Career

Club(s) Started with his local club Erewash League side, Newton Rangers FC, before joining Chesterfield FC on 14 February 1922 for £10 following a trial in the reserves. Seventy league appearances later, scoring once, Leeds United AFC signed Edwards on transfer deadline day, 16 March 1925 for £1500, where he became club captain, and remained until his retirement towards the end of WWII, scoring six league goals in 417 league appearances. He suffered from Scarlet Fever in December 1928, missing part of the 1928-29 season.
Club honours Football League Division Two runners-up 1927-28, 1931-32;
Individual honours Football League (eleven appearances)
Distinctions Never cautioned in his 500+ first class matches
Height/Weight 5' 8", 11st. 9lbs [1927 to 1929].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

Management Career

Club(s) After retiring from playing with Leeds United AFC towards the end of WWII, Edwards became the club's trainer, responsible for their Central League team. He then spent a year, from 30 April 1947 until 2 May 1948, as the club's team manager. Afterwhich, he served as assistant manager to Major Frank Buckley. In July 1951, he went to South Africa, along with coach Frank Taylor to scout. He remained at United in some capacity until June 1960.

England Career

Player number 500th player to appear for England.
Position(s) Right-half
First match No. 148, 1 March 1926, England 1 Wales 3, a British Championship match at Selhurst Park, South Norwood, London, aged 22 years 307 days.
Last match No. 169, 20 November 1929, England 6 Wales 0, a British Championship match at Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, Fulham, London, aged 26 years 206 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1925-26, 1926-27, 1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30;
Team honours British Championship shared 1926-27, winners 1929-30;
Individual honours None
Distinctions Missed out on many more England appearances, because of the Football Association's disapproval of his contract with newspapers to give a weekly forecast on the upcoming games, that omitted Leeds United's own games.
Died eleven days after Dick Pym.

Beyond England

After retiring, became Leeds United's trainer, spending a brief period as their manager after WWII. He was rewarded in March 1950 for spending 25 years with the club. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.94.

 

Willis Edwards - Career Statistics
Squads Apps comp. apps Mins. Goals goals ave.min comp. goals Capt. Disc.
21 16 11 1440 0 0 min 0 Five none
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

 

Willis Edwards - Match Record - All Matches
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 6 2 1 3 13 13 =0 0 1 2.167 2.167 41.7 -1
Away 10 8 1 1 39 12 +27 2 2 3.90 1.20 85.0 +7
All 16 10 2 4 52 25 +27 2 3 3.25 1.563 68.8 +6

 

Willis Edwards - Match Record - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
British Championship 11 5 2 4 24 20 +4 2 2 2.181 1.818 54.5 +1
Friendly 5 5 0 0 28 5 +23 0 1 5.60 1.00 100.0 +5
All 16 10 2 4 52 25 +27 2 3 3.25 1.563 68.8 +6

 

Willis Edwards - Match Record - Tournament Matches
British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1925-26 2 0 0 2 1 4 -3 1 0 0.50 2.00 0.00 -2
BC 1926-27 3 1 2 0 8 7 +1 0 0 2.667 2.333 66.7 +1
BC 1927-28 1 0 0 1 1 5 -4 0 0 1.00 5.00 0.00 -1
BC 1928-29 3 2 0 1 5 4 +1 1 0 1.667 1.333 66.7 +1
BC 1929-30 2 2 0 0 9 0 +9 0 2 4.50 0.00 100.0 +2
BC all 11 5 2 4 24 20 +4 2 2 2.181 1.818 54.5 +1
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 11 5 2 4 24 20 +4 2 2 2.181 1.818 54.5 +1
All 11 5 2 4 24 20 +4 2 2 2.181 1.818 54.5 +1

 

Willis Edwards - Match History
 

 Club: Leeds United A.F.C. - 16 full appearances (1440 min)

F.A. International Selection Committee - 16 full appearances (1440 min)x


Age 22
1 148 1 March 1926 - England 1 Wales 3, Selhurst Park, South Norwood BC HL Start rh
2 149 17 April 1926 - England 0 Scotland 1, Old Trafford, Manchester HL Start rh

Age 23
3 151 20 October 1926 - England 3 Ireland 3, Anfield Road, Liverpool BC HD Start rh
4 152 12 February 1927 - Wales 3 England 3, The Racecourse, Wrexham AD Start rh
5 153 2 April 1927 - Scotland 1 England 2, Hampden Park, Glasgow AW Start rh

Age 24
6 154 11 May 1927 - Belgium 1 England 9, Stade DC Bruxelles, Bruxelles tour AW Start rh
7 155 21 May 1927 - Luxembourg 2 England 5, Stade de la Frontière, Esch-sur-Alzette AW Start rh
8 156 26 May 1927 - France 0 England 6, Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris AW Start rh
9 159 31 March 1928 - England 1 Scotland 5, Empire Stadium, Wembley BC HL Start rh

Age 25
10 160 17 May 1928 - France 1 England 5, Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris tour AW Start rh
11 161 19 May 1928 - Belgium 1 England 3, Olympisch Stadion, Antwerpen AW Start rh
12 162 22 October 1928 - England 2 Ireland 1, Goodison Park, Liverpool BC HW captain rh
13 163 17 November 1928 - Wales 2 England 3, Vetch Field, Swansea AW captain rh
14 164 13 April 1929 - Scotland 1 England 0, Hampden Park, Glasgow AL captain rh

Age 26
165 9 May 1929 - France 1 England 4, Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris tour AW withdrawn injured
166 11 May 1929 - Belgium 1 England 5, Parc Duden Stadion, Bruxelles AW
167 15 May 1929 - Spain 4 England 3, Estádio Metropolitano, Madrid AL
15 168 19 October 1929 - Ireland 0 England 3, Windsor Park, Belfast BC AW captain rh
16 169 20 November 1929 - England 6 Wales 0, Stamford Bridge, Fulham HW captain rh

Age 28
178 17 October 1931 - Ireland 2 England 6, Windsor Park, Belfast BC AW reserve

Notes

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