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Players Index Page Last Updated
18 August 2022
 
 

Bill Nicholson

Tottenham Hotspur FC

 1 appearance, 1 debut goal

P 1 W 1 D 0 L 0 F 5: A 2
100% successful
1948-51

captain: none
minutes played: 90

Timeline
  William Edward Nicholson OBE
  According to the 1911 census, Joseph and Edith, who were married in 1899, were living at 25 Vine Street in Scarborough. Joseph was a coachman. They had five children, George, Fred, Doris, Edith and Joseph.
Birth 26 January 1919 at 15 Vine Street, Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire [registered in Scarborough, March 1919]. To Joseph and Edith (née Gowan). Eight of nine children.
Attended Gladstone Road Junior School and Scarborough Boys High School.
Marriage to Grace L. Power 'Darkie' [registered in Edmonton, Middlesex, June 1942]. Two daughters
Death 23 October 2004 in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, aged 85 years 271 days [registered in Hatfield, October 2004].

Source

 Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &
Biographies *Glory Glory: My Life with Spurs - Bill Nicholson (Macmillan, London 30 August 1984)
#Bill Nicholson at Tottenham Hotspur 1958-1974: a celebration of the career of a great manager - John James Maguire (The author, Widnes 1995)
Mr Tottenham Hotspur: Bill Nicholson OBE Memories of a Spurs Legend - Steve E. Hale (Football World, April 2005)
Double Bill: The Bill Nicholson Story - Alan Mullery and Paul Trevillion (Mainstream Publishing, 8 September 2005)
Bill Nicholson: Football's Perfectionist - Brian Scovell (John Blake Publishing, 11 May 2011)
Bill Nicholson Revisted: The Master of White Hart Lane - Norman Giller (NMG Enterprises, 14 November 2013)
 

*A professional with Spurs from 1938. then manager, adviser and scout for the club which was indeed his life. #Short, self-published tribute - A Football Compendium, Peter J. Seddon (1999).

Club Career
Club(s) Began his career with Scarborough Working Men's Club junior side and the Young Liberals. Joined Tottenham Hotspur FC as an amateur on 16 March 1936, developing with Northfleet FC, He signed professionally with Spurs in August 1938, and went on to guest with Sunderland AFC, Middlesbrough FC and Newcastle United FC during WW2. Having joined the Durham Light Infantry rising to the rank of sergeant. He was stationed in Italy following the end of the war, and did not return to the playing field until 1948, he retired after 314 league appearances and six goals, in 1955.
Club honours: Football League Division Two winners 1949-50;
Football League Champions 1950-51, runners-up 1951-52;
FA Charity Shield winners 1951;
Individual honours: Football League (one appearance). English Football Hall of Fame inductee 2003
Distinctions: Awarded the OBE 1975.
In 1999 an approach road to White Hart Lane was named Bill Nicholson Way in his honour.
Height/Weight: 5' 9", 11st. 8lbs [1951].

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

Management Career
Club(s): Following his retirement from playing in 1955, Nicholson remained with Tottenham Hotspur FC in a succession of coaching appointments. Stepped up to assistant manager in August 1957 and manager on 11 October 1958, a position he held until his resignation in September 1974. He never remained out of the game long, as he returned as a consultant for Ron Greenwood at West Ham United FC in August 1975. Returning to Tottenham Hotspur in July 1976 in an administrative role.
Club honours: Football League Champions 1960-61, runners-up 1961-62; FA Cup winners 1960-61, 1961-62, 1966-67; Football League Cup winners 1970-71, 1972-73; FA Charity Shield winners 1961, 1962, shared 1967; UEFA European Cup Winners Cup winners 1962-63; UEFA Cup winners 1971-72, runners-up 1973-74;

England Career
Player number 706th player to appear for England.
Position(s) Right-half
Only match No. 264, 19 May 1951, Portugal 2 England 5, a Festival of Britain celebration match at Goodison Park, Walton, Liverpool, aged 32 years 113 days.
Major tournaments World Cup Finals 1950;
Team honours None
Individual honours England B (four appearances, 1948-50)
Distinctions The thirteenth North Ridian to represent England.
Nicholson scored after only thirty seconds, maybe nineteen, maybe forty, against Portugal, possibly the fastest debut goal in all international football.

Beyond England
Bill found more fame behind the scenes. Under his managership, Spurs were at their most successful. He paid large transfer fees but rarely made a poor deal, achieving blends that delighted crowds besides winning trophies. He was appointed club president of Spurs in 1991. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.185.


The Numbers
parties Appearances unused/
reserve		 minutes goals ave.min captain
13 1 nine 90 1 90 min 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.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
1 1 0 0 5 2 +3 0 0 5 2 100 +1
his only match was at a home venue, a friendly match, and played in a white shirt

Tournament Record
World Cup Final Tournaments
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WCF 1950 0 0 0 0 0 0 =0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.0 =0
WCF All 0 0 0 0 0 0 =0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.0 =0
 

Match History

 Club: Tottenham Hotspur F.C. - one full appearance (90 min) 1ᵍ manager: Walter Winterbottom - one full appearance (90 min) 1ᵍx

apps match pic match details comp res. rundown shirt

Age 29
239 10 April 1948 - Scotland 0 England 2, Hampden Park, Glasgow BC AW reserve
240 16 May 1948 - Italy 0 England 4, Stadio Comunale di Torino, Torino tour AW unused sub
B  
one appearance - Switzerland 19 May 1948; unofficial unused sub - FC Schaffhausen 22 May 1948;
 
  
242 9 October 1948 - Ireland 2 England 6, Windsor Park, Belfast BC AW reserve
  

Age 30
246 13 May 1949 - Sweden 3 England 1, Råsunda Fotbollstadion, Solna
tour		 AL party member
B  
party member - Finland A 15 May 1949
247 18 May 1949 - Norway 1 England 4, Ullevål Stadion, Oslo   AW  
B  
unused substitute - Netherlands A 18 May 1949
248 22 May 1949 - France 1 England 3, Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris   AW withdrawn party member
  
252 30 November 1949 - England 2 Italy 0, White Hart Lane, Tottenham Fr HW replacement unused sub
  

B  
one appearance - Switzerland January 1950

Age 31    
one appearance - Italy 11 May 1950
254 14 May 1950 - Portugal 3 England 5, Estadio Nacional, Lisboa tour AW party member
B  
one appearance - Netherlands 17 May 1950
255 18 May 1950 - Belgium 1 England 4, Stade du Heysel, Bruxelles   AW party member
B  
withdrawn party member - Luxembourg 21 May 1950
 
WCF		 reserve right halfx
256 25 June 1950 - England 2 Chile 0, Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro NW party member
257 29 June 1950 - United States 1 England 0, Estádio Independência, Belo Horizonte NL
258 2 July 1950 - Spain 1 England 0, Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro NL
  


Age 32
263 9 May 1951 - England 2 Argentina 1, Empire Stadium, Wembley Fr HW withdrawn
unused sub
1 264 19 May 1951 - England 5 Portugal 2
Goodison Park, Liverpool		 Fr HW 16-30s 4
  

the 706th player to appear for England.
the twentieth Tottenham Hotspur player to represent England
the 133rd player to score on his England debut

267 14 November 1951 - England 2 Ireland 0, Villa Park, Birmingham BC HW reserve
268 28 November 1951 - England 2 Austria 2, Empire Stadium, Wembley Fr HD withdrawn starter
269 5 April 1952 - Scotland 1 England 2, Hampden Park, Glasgow BC AW reserve
270 18 May 1952 - Italy 1 England 1, Stadio Comunale di Firenze, Firenze
tour		 AD unused sub
271 25 May 1952 - Austria 2 England 3, Praterstadion, Prater, Wien AW unused sub
272 28 May 1952 - Switzerland 0 England 3, Hardturm Stadion, Zürich AW unused sub
  



  

 
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