Billy Goldie

Billy Goldie
Fulham info
Full name	William Glover Goldie
Date of birth	22 Jan 1878
Place of birth	Hurlford, Ayrshire, Scotland
Date of death	3 Feb 1952
Place of death	Hurlford, Ayrshire, Scotland
Height	5ft 7in (1.70m)
Playing position	Left half
Current player?
Debut	West Ham (h) (11 Jan 1904)
Last Appearance	West Brom (a) (25 Apr 1908)
First goal	Brighton (h) (15 Oct 1904)
Last goal	Crystal Palace (h) (19 Jan 1907)
Joined from	Liverpool - 4 Jan 1904
Left for	Leicester Fosse - 15 Jul 1908
League apps (gls)	156 (5)
All apps (gls)	215 (5)
Other clubs	Hurlford Thistle (1895-1897) Clyde (1897) Liverpool (1897-1904) Leicester Fosse (1908-1911) Leicester Imperial

Billy Goldie was a left half who played for Fulham from 1904 until 1908. A dour and tenacious Scotsman, he was feared by many of his opponents. He won the First Division title in 1901 with Liverpool before his 4-year stint at Craven Cottage.

Career

Before Fulham

Billy began his career at Hurlford Thistle in 1895 where he won two Ayrshire Cup medals, followed by a brief stint at Clyde.

His big move came at the tailend of 1897, when he was signed by Liverpool of the First Division and teamed up with his brother Archie, who had signed for them two years earlier. Initially playing as a full back, Billy eventually turned into a left half and became an ever-present in the Liverpool line-up, at one point playing in 119 consecutive matches for them.

He missed out on a Championship medal in 1899 as Liverpool finished runners-up to Aston Villa, but he received one two years later when he was ever-present in their title-winning side.

He was suspended by the Football League in August 1903 when he became involved in an illegal transfer scam alongside fellow Liverpool players John Glover and Sam Raybould. Portsmouth had been illegally paying the players to sign for them at the end of the 1902-03 season, and as a result the League banned them from playing for six months.

Fulham (1904-1908)

Upon the completion of his ban, Billy did not sign for Portsmouth but opted for Fulham instead. He signed for the club on 4 January 1904 and made his debut a week later in a 2-1 loss at home to West Ham United in a London League fixture.

Billy helped the club to two Southern League titles in 1905-06 and 1906-07. He played in every match during Fulham's FA Cup run to the quarter-finals in 1905 and to the semi-finals in 1908. He also gained a Western League runners-up medal with the club in 1907. During his entire stay with the club, he only missed a total of six League games.

His Scottish accent was so strong that at times his team-mates and the management could not understand him, and he needed an interpreter when he went before the FA disciplinary commission!

After Fulham

Billy moved to Leicester Fosse in August 1908 just after his younger brother John, joined Fulham from Hurlford Thistle. He went on to make 88 appearances for them before his retirement from professional football in 1911, aged 33.

He went on to own a pub in 1911 and played occasionally for Leicester Imperial, before returning back home to Hurlford in Scotland where he worked as a road surfaceman. He died in his hometown in February 1952 at the age of 74.

Fulham Statistics

Appearances

Season	League	League		FA Cup		London League		Western League		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1903-04	Southern League Division One	18	0	1	0	4	0	-	-	23	0
1904-05	Southern League Division One	30	4	9	0	-	-	13	0	52	4
1905-06	Southern League Division One	34	0	2	0	-	-	11	0	47	0
1906-07	Southern League Division One	38	1	4	0	-	-	9	0	51	1
1907-08	Second Division	36	0	6	0	-	-	-	-	42	0
	Total	156	5	22	0	4	0	33	0	215	5

Fulham Matches

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Season

Date

Comp

Opposition

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Score

Additional Information

External links and references

Template:1903-04 squad Template:1904-05 squad Template:1905-06 squad