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Players Index Page Last Updated
12 August 2025
 
 

Billy Watson

Burnley FC

 3 appearances, 0 goals

P 3 W 1 D 1 L 1 F 2: A 4
50% successful
1913-22

captain: none
minutes played: 250

Timeline
  Private Richard Watson
Birth Thursday, 11 September 1890 in North Meols, Southport, Lancashire
  registered as Richard in Ormskirk October-December 1890
 

According to the 1891 census, seven months old Richard is the youngest of two children to William and Alice (née Schofield), the other being oldesr sister, Miriam. His father is a house painter, and they live at 33 Poulton Road in the North Meols area of Southport.
 

According to the 1901 census, they still live at 33 Poulton Road, Richard has two more siblings, twins Edith and Frederick. His father is still a house painter.
 

According to the 1911 census, Richard is now a house painter, along with his father. He has two more younger siblings, Eva and Edward. They all live at 28 Hereford Road in Southport. The census reveals that his parents had had eight children, and that two had died.
According to a letter that Billy wrote to the Burnley News in March 1913, he was living at 28 Hereford Road in Southport.

First marriage to Sarah Lily Sanderson, on Wednesday, 6 October 1915 at the Victoria Wesleyan Church, Blowick, Southport. After spending their honeymoon in Norbreck, they returned to live at 1 Blair Grove, in Norwood Avenue, Southport.
  registered as Richard in Ormskirk October-December 1915
Children Billy and Sarah have one child together.
  Their only child, a daughter, died in February 1920.
According to the 1921 census, Richard, a professional footballer (for Burnley FC) is still married to Sarah Lily, and they live at 1 Blair Grove in Southport.
His wife, Lily, died on 15 November 1921....
"Every sympathy will be extended to Billy Watson in the irretrievable loss he sustained on Tuesday of his wife. Billy has had an all too brief married life, his wedding to Miss Lily Sanderson, of Southport, and formerly of Burnley, taking place on October 6th, 1915. He suffered a bereavement in February of last year, when he lost his only baby, an event which led to him not taking part in the English League match v. the North, for which he was selected as captain. He has been playing under a weight of anxiety during the past weeks, and all will regret that what might have been a happy event has resulted in the loss of a well-loved wife. An improvement in Mrs. Watson's condition had taken place during the past week, and it was not till last week-end that a change took place for the worse." - The Burnley News, Saturday, 19 November 1921.
Second marriage to Mary Chippendale, on Tuesday, 20 May 1924 in Ormskirk. It was reported that he celebrated his silver wedding anniversary 'over the weekend', reported on 17 May 1949.
  registered as Richard in Ormskirk April-June 1924
Children Billy and Mary have one child together. Margaret (b.1927)
  According to the 1939 register, William, a decorator and ironmonger, and Mary are still married, living at 92 Bispham Road in Southport.
His father died in early 1940.
Death Thursday, 1 September 1955 at The Hesketh Nursing Home, 14 Park Avenue in Southport, Lancashire
aged 64 years 355 days registered as Richard in Southport July-September 1955
Obituary
 
Funeral  
Probate "WATSON Richard otherwise William of Sunningdale 9 Albany-road Southport Lancashire died 1 September 1955 at The Hesketh Nursing Home 14 Park-avenue Southport Probate Winchester 5 October  to Mary Watson widow. Effects £656 14s. 5d." [2025 equivalent: £14,950].
  His wife, Mary, died in Leeds in summer 1998
Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], Angela Green, Billy's great granddaughter & .

Playing Career

Club(s)		 Began playing schoolboy football in Southport and also played with Sunday school side Blowick Wesleyans FC. Signed for Southport Central FC in 1907, turning professional in 1908. Burnley FC signed him in March 1909 for £200, becoming club captain, leaving in 1925, for Accrington Stanley FC. He did appear for Southport Central FC again during the war, as well as Fulham FC.

League honours
352 appearances, 18 goals		 Burnley FC 1909-25 346 appearances, eighteen goals
debut (division two): 3 April 1909 Burnley FC 0 Leeds City AFC 0.
Accrington Stanley FC 1925-26 six appearances
debut (division three north): 29 August 1925 Walsall FC 3 Accrington Stanley FC 3.
last (division three north): 13 April 1926 Accrington Stanley FC 2 Crewe Alexandra FC 0.
Club honours Football League Division Two third place 1911-12 (38ᵃ), runners-up 1912-13 (32ᵃ 2ᵍ); Division One runners-up 1919-20 (39ᵃ 5ᵍ), Champions 1920-21 (42ᵃ 2ᵍ), third place (31ᵃ 2ᵍ);
FA Cup winners 1913-14 (8ᵃ);
Individual honours Football League (five appearances, one as captain)
After having played in a hundred consecutive league matches, Watson was presented with a gold watch and medal from the Burnlet directors in May 1913.
Distinctions The Watson-Mosscrop Trophy was a competition in the Southport and District Amateur Football League for senior division clubs in aid of the Benevolent Fund.
Height/Weight 5' 7½", 11st. 2lbs [1914].
Source

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

England Career
Player number 375th player to appear for England.
Position(s) Left half
First match No. 116, 5 April 1913, England 1 Scotland 0, a British Championship match at Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, Fulham, London, aged 22 years 206 days.
Last match No. 120, 25 October 1919, Ireland 1 England 1, a British Championship match at Windsor Park, Donegall Avenue, Belfast, aged 29 years 44 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1912-13, 1913-14, 1919-20;
Team honours British Championship winners 1912-13;
Individual honours England victory (one appearance)
Distinctions Died eight days after Harold Fleming and twenty days after Bert Freeman

Beyond England
Part of the Motor Transport of the Army Service Corps during the war. After leaving football Watson trained the players at Accrington Stanley FC, also worked as an ironmonger, of which he became President of the Ironmonger's Association, and also followed his fathers trade, as a painter & decorator. Also a successful cricketer, captaining is local side, Derby CC in the Southport League. Served two spells as a Liberal councillor on the Southport local authority. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.262.


The Numbers
parties Appearances comp. apps minutes captain
4 3 3 250 0 none
The minutes here given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an approximation.

Billy Watson - Match Record - All Matches - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 2 1 0 1 1 3 -2 1 1 0.50 1.50 50.0 =0
Away 1 0 1 0 1 1 =0 0 0 1.00 1.00 50.0 =0
All - British Championship 3 1 1 1 2 4 -2 1 1 0.667 1.333 50.0 =0

Billy Watson - Match Record - Tournament Matches
British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1912-13 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC 1913-14 1 0 0 1 0 3 -3 1 0 0.00 3.00 00.0 -1
BC 1919-20 1 0 1 0 1 1 =0 0 0 1.00 1.00 50.0 =0
BC All 3 1 1 1 2 4 -2 1 1 0.667 1.333 50.0 =0
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 3 1 1 1 2 4 -2 1 1 0.667 1.333 50.0 =0
All 3 1 1 1 2 4 -2 1 1 0.667 1.333 50.0 =0

Billy Watson - Match History
 Club: Burnley F.C. - 3 full appearances

F.A. International Select Committee - 3 full capsx

Age 22
1 116 5 April 1913 - England 1 Scotland 0, Stamford Bridge, Fulham BC HW   il
Age 23
2 117 14 February 1914 - England 0 Ireland 3, Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough BC HL   il


Age 29
3 120 25 October 1919 - Ireland 1 England 1, Windsor Park, Belfast BC AD   il
Age 32
- 130 21 October 1922 - England 2 Ireland 0, The Hawthorns, West Bromwich BC HW withdrawn reserve