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Bill Perry (footballer)
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Perry was a South Africa
n-born English
professional footballer
. He spent thirteen seasons at Blackpool
during the 1950s and 1960s.
Perry, an outside-left, signed for Blackpool in 1949 after being recommended to the club by scout Billy Butler, who coached him at Johannesburg Rangers.
Perry made his league debut for Blackpool on 18 March 1950
, in a win at Manchester United
. The following season, his FA Cup
semi-final replay goal against Birmingham City
helped put Blackpool into the Final
against Newcastle United
.
Perry's most notable achievement was scoring the injury-time winner in the 1953 FA Cup Final against Bolton
, cementing a comeback from 1-3 to 4-3 thanks to an earlier Stan Mortensen
hat-trick. As in 1951, his semi-final goal, this time against Tottenham Hotspur
, sent Blackpool on their way to Wembley.
During the 1955-56
season, Perry scored twenty goals (a record for a winger) (including a hat-trick in the first of two West Lancashire derbies
in the space of twenty-four hours) to help Blackpool to their highest-ever league position of runners-up in Division One
.
A cartilage operation virtually ended Perry's playing career, and after being in and out of the side, he was transfer-listed in the summer of 1962.
Southport
came in for his services, where he played 26 games from August 1962 until May 1963 when he joined Hereford United.
He remained at Edgar Street for just the one season and made a total of 29 appearances for Hereford during his time there. Perry left Hereford at the end of the 1963-64 season and had a short spell in Australia before retiring with Holyhead Town. He became a director of Fleetwood Town
between 1967 and 1970.
in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Perry is in the 1950s.
In January 2007, he was reunited with the FA Cup
after 54 years when the trophy was taken to Bloomfield Road
as part of the build-up to the Seasiders' fourth-round tie with Norwich City
. Also in attendance was Cyril Robinson
, at the time the only other surviving member of the cup-winning team. Perry died eight months later at the age of 77.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n-born English
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
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. He spent thirteen seasons at Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
during the 1950s and 1960s.
Club career
Perry made his league debut for Blackpool on 18 March 1950
1949-50 in English football
The 1949–50 season was the 70th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Portsmouth retained the First Division title by one of the narrowest margins in history ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C....
, in a win at Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. The following season, his FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final replay goal against Birmingham City
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...
helped put Blackpool into the Final
1951 FA Cup Final
The 1951 FA Cup Final was contested by Newcastle United and Blackpool at Wembley on 28 April 1951. Newcastle won 2–0, with both goals scored by Jackie Milburn....
against 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...
.
Perry's most notable achievement was scoring the injury-time winner in the 1953 FA Cup Final against Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, cementing a comeback from 1-3 to 4-3 thanks to an earlier Stan Mortensen
Stan Mortensen
Stanley Harding "Stan" Mortensen was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final...
hat-trick. As in 1951, his semi-final goal, this time against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, sent Blackpool on their way to Wembley.
During the 1955-56
1955-56 in English football
The 1955–56 season was the 76th season of competitive football in England. The First Division was won by Manchester United, the fourth time they had won that particular accolade.-Awards:Football Writers' Association...
season, Perry scored twenty goals (a record for a winger) (including a hat-trick in the first of two West Lancashire derbies
West Lancashire derby
The West Lancashire derby is a local derby in English football, between Lancashire neighbours Blackpool F.C. and Preston North End F.C. The derby has taken place across all four tiers of the Football League, but not yet in the Premier League...
in the space of twenty-four hours) to help Blackpool to their highest-ever league position of runners-up in Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
.
A cartilage operation virtually ended Perry's playing career, and after being in and out of the side, he was transfer-listed in the summer of 1962.
Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
came in for his services, where he played 26 games from August 1962 until May 1963 when he joined Hereford United.
He remained at Edgar Street for just the one season and made a total of 29 appearances for Hereford during his time there. Perry left Hereford at the end of the 1963-64 season and had a short spell in Australia before retiring with Holyhead Town. He became a director of Fleetwood Town
Fleetwood Town F.C.
Fleetwood Town F.C. is an English football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire. They currently play in the Conference National having been defeated in the Conference National play-off semi-final by AFC Wimbledon in the 2010–11 season.-History:...
between 1967 and 1970.
Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame
Perry was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy ArmfieldJimmy Armfield
James Christopher "Jimmy" Armfield, CBE, DL is an English former professional football player and manager who currently works as a football pundit for BBC Radio Five Live. He played the whole of his Football League career at Blackpool, usually at right back...
in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Perry is in the 1950s.
Post-retirement
After retiring, Perry ran a couple of businesses in Blackpool, where he lived with his wife, Jean.In January 2007, he was reunited with the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
after 54 years when the trophy was taken to Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
as part of the build-up to the Seasiders' fourth-round tie with Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. Also in attendance was Cyril Robinson
Cyril Robinson
Cyril Robinson is an English former professional footballer.Robinson's professional career was relatively short, spanning just a decade, four years of which was spent at Blackpool. He was part of the Seasiders team that won the FA Cup in 1953...
, at the time the only other surviving member of the cup-winning team. Perry died eight months later at the age of 77.
