William George Eardley was a footballer; a pacey, quality player he was also prone to sulk

Sulk

Sulk may refer to:*Sulk, an album by the Associates*Sulk , a song by Radiohead...

ing.

Playing career

Eardley joined Burslem Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 in May 1894; the following season

1894–95 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

The 1894–95 season was Burslem Port Vale's third consecutive season of football in the Football League. The progress of the previous season was lost, as 19 of the 30 league games ended in defeat. Only nearby Crewe Alexandra finished below the Vale, however only Walsall Town Swifts failed to gain...

 he only played nine games (8 in the league), but did score three goals. He switched to Newcastle Swifts in the summer

Summer

Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...

 of 1895, but returned to Vale in September of that year. He still failed to become a first team regular and so in August 1896 moved on to Stoke

Stoke City F.C.

Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

.