Billy_Eardley
Billy Eardley
English footballer
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.
| 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 | |||
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, but 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]
Source:[3]
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Senior Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
- Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
- 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)