Bill Booth (footballer)

William Samuel Booth (7 July 1920 – 18 February 1990) was an English football player and manager who played in the English Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion and Port Vale.

Bill Booth
Personal information
Full name William Samuel Booth[1]
Date of birth (1920-07-07)7 July 1920
Place of birth Hove, England[1]
Date of death 18 February 1990(1990-02-18) (aged 69)[1]
Place of death Eastbourne, England[1]
Position(s) Centre-half
Youth career
Hove Penguins
Brighton & Hove Albion
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 (0)
1939 Port Vale 9 (0)
1939 Cardiff City 0 (0)
1947–1949 Brighton & Hove Albion 28 (6)
Hastings United
Managerial career
1966–1968 Eastbourne
1971–1972 Eastbourne Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Booth played for Hove Penguins and Brighton & Hove Albion, before joining First Division club Wolverhampton Wanderers.[1] He was unable to break into their first-team at Molineux and moved to Port Vale in the Third Division South in February 1939.[1]

After ten consecutive games for the "Valiants" in 1938–39, he was given a free transfer to league rivals Cardiff City.[1] He later guested for Birmingham City and Leeds United during the war, before moving permanently back to Brighton & Hove Albion after the war.[1] Don Welsh's "Seagulls" finished bottom of the Third Division South in 1947–48 and had to apply for re-election before rising to sixth place in 1948–49. He then moved into non-League football with the newly founded Southern League club Hastings United.

Management career

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Booth managed Eastbourne from 1966 to 1968 and again in the Athenian League between 1971 and 1972.

Career statistics

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Source:[2]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Port Vale 1938–39 Third Division South 9 0 0 0 1 0 10 0
Cardiff City 1939–40 Third Division South 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 0
Brighton & Hove Albion 1947–48 Third Division South 20 5 1 1 0 0 21 6
1948–49 Third Division South 8 1 0 0 0 0 8 1
Total 28 6 1 1 0 0 29 7

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 35. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0. ASIN 0952915200.
  2. ^ Bill Booth at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)