Billy Eardley

Billy Eardley
Personal information
Full name	William George Eardley
Date of birth	1871
Place of birth	Stoke-upon-Trent, England
Date of death	?
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team
1894–1895	Burslem Port Vale
1895	Newcastle Swifts
1895–1896	Burslem Port Vale
1896–1897	Stoke
Total
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William George Eardley (1871–?) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Burslem Port Vale and Stoke.^[1] A pacey, quality player he was also prone to sulking.

Career

Eardley joined Burslem Port Vale in May 1894.^[2] In the 1894–95 season he only played nine games but did score three goals.^[2] Two of his goals came against Newcastle United at St James' Park in a 2–1 win on 12 April.^[2] His other goal came eight days later, in an end-of-season 4–0 win over Crewe Alexandra at the Athletic Ground.^[2] He switched to Newcastle Swifts in the summer of 1895. He returned to Vale in September of that year.^[2] He still failed to become a first-team regular and claimed four goals in ten games in the 1895–96 season.^[2] The goals came in two braces against Darwen on 5 and 19 October.^[2]

In August 1896, he moved on to Stoke. At Stoke, Eardley played ten matches under Horace Austerberry during the 1896–97 season, scoring once in a 2–1 victory against Preston North End at the Victoria Ground on 9 November 1896, and was released in January 1897.^[1]

Career statistics

Source:^[3]

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Senior Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Burslem Port Vale	1894–95	Second Division	8	3	0	0	1	0	9	3
	1895–96	Second Division	9	4	1	0	0	0	10	4
	Total		17	7	1	0	1	0	19	7
Stoke	1896–97	First Division	10	1	0	0	0	0	10	1
Career total			27	8	1	0	1	0	29	8

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 91. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
^ Billy Eardley at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

[The_Encyclopaedia_of_Stoke_City-1] Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.

[kent-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 91. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.

[3] Billy Eardley at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

[1]

[2]

[3]

Personal information
Full name	William George Eardley^[1]
Date of birth	1871^[1]
Place of birth	Stoke-upon-Trent, England^[1]
Date of death	?
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1894–1895	Burslem Port Vale	8	(3)
1895	Newcastle Swifts
1895–1896	Burslem Port Vale	9	(4)
1896–1897	Stoke	10	(1)
Total		27	(8)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals