Bill Edwards (footballer)
Encyclopedia
William H. "Bill" Edwards (1874 – after 1896) was an English
professional footballer who played in the Football League
for Small Heath
.
Edwards was born in Coventry
, Warwickshire
. An outside left
, he played football for Singer's
before joining Small Heath
in September 1896 as a replacement for Tommy Hands
, who had walked out of the club after six seasons as first choice on the left wing. Edwards made his debut in the Second Division
on the opening day of the 1896–97 season in a 3–1 win at home to Newcastle United
, and played four of the next six games, scoring once, before losing his place and not regaining it. Described as "enthusiastic [but] rather limited", he left for non-league football
with Rugby.
Edwards' older brother Harry
was also a professional footballer who played for Small Heath.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer who played in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for Small Heath
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
.
Edwards was born in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. An outside left
Outside forward
Outside forward is a position in association football which refers to a footballer who plays as an advanced forward on the right or left wing - as an outside right or outside left. Typically as part of a 2-3-5 formation or one of its variants...
, he played football for Singer's
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
before joining Small Heath
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in September 1896 as a replacement for Tommy Hands
Tommy Hands
Thomas "Tommy" Hands was an English professional footballer who played as an outside left. He played 134 games for Small Heath in the Football Alliance and the Football League....
, who had walked out of the club after six seasons as first choice on the left wing. Edwards made his debut in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
on the opening day of the 1896–97 season in a 3–1 win at home to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, and played four of the next six games, scoring once, before losing his place and not regaining it. Described as "enthusiastic [but] rather limited", he left for non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
with Rugby.
Edwards' older brother Harry
Harry Edwards (footballer)
Henry Ross "Harry" Edwards was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Small Heath.Edwards was born in Coventry, Warwickshire...
was also a professional footballer who played for Small Heath.